Assassination
by randomteenager
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he’s never failed his reputation. But what if the target he’s supposed to kill, is the woman he’s fallen in love with? SasuSaku NaruHina
1. The Targets

**A/N:**** About time edit number one took place, I guess.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**SIDE NOTE:**** There's also going to be another pairing, it's NaruHina. Just basically think of it where in the summary, instead of 'Uchiha Sasuke', it's Uzumaki Naruto.**

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku.

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**Chapter 1 – The Targets**

Uchiha Sasuke, a legend when it came to assassination. He had stealth and cunning, able to kill anyone he was assigned to. He could kill without leaving a trace, as though there was never a murder in the first place. Him, along with his partner Uzumaki Naruto, were the best assassins throughout the Fire Country, even though nobody knew what they looked like. No one could match their unbeatable reputation.

They were deadly assassins that were just as handsome as they were deadly.

Uchiha Sasuke, heir of the noble Uchiha clan, had spiky raven hair and a pale face with a toned body to match. He had a cold, dark personality, a result from his tragic past.

Uzumaki Naruto had sun-shining blond hair with a tan face with whisker-like marks along both the sides of his cheeks. He too had a muscular body as well as a loud, enthusiastic personality and charm that could put a smile on anyone's face.

Their looks along with their skills made them undefeatable when it came to the art of killing. They were the ultimate tag-team, especially when it came to their female targets. Naruto would charm them until they wouldn't suspect anything and Sasuke would go in for the kill. It was perfect.

They were both amazingly talented for 18-year olds. They were self-reliant, having to only rely on themselves ever since they were kids. Sasuke and Naruto had met when they came to the organization of Akatsuki, a corporation that only the best of assassins belonged to.

Assigned partners, they didn't have the best first impression. They hated each other's guts when they met at age 15. But after three years, they've grown to have a brother-rival relationship. Best friends that were each other's greatest rivals, driving each other's beyond their wildest limits.

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"Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto," The head of Akatsuki greeted to the two legendary assassins in front of him, "You two have the best reputations throughout this whole organization."

Sasuke and Naruto gave each other a side-glance, their expressions emotionless as they waited patiently for what the Akatsuki leader had to say to them.

"I have an assignment for both of you," continued the leader, passing them a folder. "It's an assignment only the two of you can complete. Let that be a hint at the difficulty this assassination may bring. In other words, do not underestimate your targets."

Sasuke took the folder, his eyes forming into the Sharingan as he scanned its contents.

The boss carried on, "Inside, there are the background descriptions of both of your targets as well as photos."

Naruto peered over Sasuke's broad shoulder, glancing down at the folder's contents as he picked up one of the photos. "These are the people we have to kill?" the blond-haired man asked, looking at a photo of a timid-looking girl with dark-blue hair and pearly white eyes.

"That's right. There is no deadline to when these two should be dead, but being the well-known assassins you are, they should be dead soon. Understood?"

A few seconds passed and Sasuke closed the folder with a movement of his hand. Him and Naruto both gazed at the man that was the head of Akatsuki and gave a short nod in understanding.

Without another word, the raven-haired and blond-haired killers left. They headed towards their quarters, walking inside and getting the necessary items needed to complete the task they were given.

"Oi, teme," spoke Naruto to his partner in crime. "Why do you think he kept on warning us about the two chicks we're supposed to kill?"

Sasuke shrugged, "It doesn't matter. We'll just go to this 'Konoha' place and kill them from there."

Naruto chuckled, lazily stuffing clothes in his suitcase as they were assembled in a sloppy manner, not even folded correctly. "Yeah, I guess that's true. But it's a shame, isn't it?"

Sasuke shifted his head towards Naruto's direction, raising an elegant eyebrow. "What shame?"

Naruto gave a foxy grin, walking over to Sasuke, who was currently packing his suitcase as well, and putting a friendly arm around his shoulders, his right hand holding up the two photos like playing cards. "It's a shame these two have to die, isn't it? They're pretty cute for targets, probably the cutest we've been assigned, especially the dark haired one."

Sasuke scowled, shrugging off Naruto's arm, "Don't touch me so familiarly."

Naruto laughed as it echoed throughout their small room. "Lighten up, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke grunted, "Shut up, dobe." Naruto walked back to his suitcase, folding his arms behind his head. "You're just upset that you have to kill a hot chick." He could tell the young Uchiha was getting irritated and decided to continue, "After all, did you see the bodies those two had?" He gave a wolf whistle, grinning widely when he saw Sasuke's twitching fist, "One word teme: _sexy_."

In the blink of an eye, Sasuke held Naruto's neck tightly in his deadly vice grip, "Shut. Up. Dolt." He said darkly.

Naruto kept his cool, his hand holding Sasuke's wrist as he twisted it, making Sasuke let go before he broke it.

"You really need to control your hormones, Sasuke."

"At least I'm not a pervert, idiot," retorted the massacre survivor. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, opening his mouth to retort but Sasuke cut him off. "Let's go."

The blond closed his mouth, giving the raven-haired man a scowl before muttering curse words to a certain someone and grumpily walking to his suitcase.

They left the hidden organization of Akatsuki and discreetly took a taxi to Konoha, which they realized wasn't that far. They got off the taxi, paying their fare and walked inside the city of Konohagakure. As they walked through the streets, the two found a fancy looking inn.

"Oi, teme, how about we stay there?" Naruto said, pointing out the inn. Sasuke gave him a hint of a nod and they walked over to the front desk.

A young female secretary sat in front of a computer screen and typed along the keyboard. She looked up to see the new visitors, and immediately blushed when she saw the two of them. Sasuke remained stoic and Naruto gave her a charming smile, making her blush more.

"Hey there, me and my companion here need two rooms, do you have room?" Naruto said in a charming voice.

"O-One moment," stuttered the woman, forcing herself to gaze upon the bright screen of her desktop computer. "Oh, here's one. The cost is—" However she was cut off when Sasuke placed a large amount of money in front of her.

"That should take care of it," stated the said man simply. He quickly added, "Keep the change."

The girl's eyes widened at the sight of the large bundle of money before her. She hesitantly handed them the keys to their rooms, her eyes leaving for a split second from the bag of money to the two men. She wondered idly where they came up with such money.

Sasuke and Naruto got their keys walking to their rooms and dropping off their luggage at the rooms that were next to each other. Naruto walked inside Sasuke's room, plopping down on his bed languidly.

"I don't see why we had to get two rooms in the first place…" Naruto drawled out, folding his hands behind his head as he laid his head back.

"We can't get people to think we're gay, dumbass." responded Sasuke, sneering at the thought.

"But I _am_ your _partner_, Sasuke," replied Naruto with a wide sheepish grin, his lips pulling back revealing pearly white teeth.

Sasuke glared at Naruto regarding his innuendo. "Partner in _assassination_," he corrected.

Naruto laughed, "Yeah I know that! I was only kidding. Jeez, take a joke Mr. I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass-all-the-fucking-time."

The Uchiha's glare increased ten-fold causing Naruto to stifle his laughter. Once the blond killer had calmed himself down, Sasuke pulled out the folder they were given earlier by their leader, having made a separate copy before leaving. He tossed it to Naruto who raised his arm, hand awaiting as he caught it with ease.

"So we're supposed to get acquainted to them, right?" Naruto said, going over their mission again as cerulean eyes traced over the contents of the folder.

"Aa," Sasuke responded back, doing the same as Naruto.

The blond-haired assassin shrugged, "It's hard to believe that we have to kill off these two, they look harmless."

Sasuke didn't say anything, even though he was thinking the same thing in his head.

"I wonder what they could've done where they've become a threat." rambled Naruto, trailing off slightly before a sheepish grin came on his face, "I mean, if we didn't have to kill them, I'd fuck them till there's no tomorrow!"

The raven-haired man snorted at his partner's comment, causing Naruto to chortle, rephrasing his statement. "Fine, fine. I'd fuck the dark-haired girl and you'd fuck the pink-haired one, happy now? Now we both get one to—!" His sentence was cut off as he ducked, a sharp knife hitting the dashboard above him as he lay against the bed. The knife vibrated from the impact of the wall, making a _boing _sound. Immediately Naruto moved to another part of the bed, sitting upright.

"Jeez, chill out Sasuke-teme! Holy shit, you could've killed me!"

"That's why I threw it, smartass," Sasuke snapped back, face blank of any emotion to almost injuring his friend.

Naruto frowned at him, "I swear, I have no idea what chicks see in you!"

Sasuke smirked, "I was thinking the same thing about you."

The blond's frowned deepen, "You suck ass, Sasuke-teme!" He folded his arms over his chest, leaping off of Sasuke's bed with a grumpy expression.

"Shut up and go get rest. We're going to be busy tomorrow." Sasuke commanded with a monotonous tone.

His partner sauntered towards the door leisurely, taking his sweet time. When he reached the door, he grabbed the handle, twisting his wrist to open the door revealing the entrance.

"I'm going to get rest— but not because you told me to, so don't you dare do that stupid 'I'm-better-than-you-so-kiss-my-ass' smirk. I'm only going because I'm tired and it's been a long day." He slammed the door behind him on his way out.

The Uchiha leered at his statement, murmuring, "Idiot."

"I heard you!" Came the instant reply from Naruto. "Asshole!" He added, walked into his own dorm (which was only next door) before shutting the door hard as well.

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**A/N: Edit number one complete!**


	2. Meeting

**A/N:**** Two edits in one day on the same story, hahaha :P**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto characters.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku.

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**Chapter 2 – Meeting**

"Oi," Sasuke called, nudging the blond-haired body that was Naruto's.

It was currently 5:30 a.m., and it was time for the two to start their "mission".

Naruto rolled over in his bed, "Ramen…" he mumbled in his sleep. "Lots and lots of ramen…"

Sasuke forced himself to not beat the crap out of Naruto, his patience growing thin.

_Is ramen all the idiot ever thinks about?_ Sasuke wondered when Naruto rolled over on his bed again and mumbled more about ramen.

"Get up, lazyass," called the Uchiha once again in a monotone voice, nudging Naruto once more.

"Five more minutes… I want my ramen…" came the mumbled reply, turning over to the side again.

The raven-haired assassin sighed inaudibly, walking into the bathroom in the rented suite of Naruto's and getting a cup full of ice-cold water.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, turning the glass over as the cold water splashed on his partner's whiskery face.

Naruto immediately sat up, shaking his head roughly. "W-What the hell?! Sasuke-teme, what're you doing here?! And where'd that water come from?! And why are you _smirking_?!"

Sasuke had smirked from Naruto's reaction, "Get ready, we have targets to kill."

Naruto grumpily crossed his arms, "You're a bastard, you know that?"

The Uchiha's hand came in contact with the back of the blond's head, giving him a slap. "And you're an idiot. Now get up, let's go." Naruto frowned as he rubbed the spot where Sasuke had hit him, proceeding to walk over to his suitcase.

Since Sasuke just had a dark blue shirt with a wide collar that had the Uchiha Symbol on it's back along with a pair of dark sweatpants, Naruto decided just to wear ripped jeans and an long-sleeved orange shirt. Then he ruffled his sun-kissed blond hair, letting it naturally fix into its spiky manner.

"Done yet?" Sasuke asked in an impatient tone with a click of his tongue. "You take as long as a girl."

In response the blond killer growled, glowering at the calm man. "Jeez, teme! Give me a second, why don't you?! Order, order, order, I'm not your lackey that follows you around you know! You need me in this mission, I'm the one that's going to charm them, remember?"

"You're not the only one who can charm them, idiot," came the reply of the Uchiha, a stoic expression on his face as he slid his hands in his pockets. He began to walk outside of the inn they were staying at as Naruto followed him closely behind.

"Oh _really?_" challenged Naruto with a scoff. "You, ice-cube Uchiha Sasuke-teme, can charm a woman?" He snickered, "Yeah, _right_! When you do, hell will freeze over. And you'll know because you'll be in hell by the time you charm a woman!"

Sasuke grunted, giving the boy a side glance. "You think I can't charm a woman? Apparently you don't know me at all, dobe."

Naruto shrugged, "Just because you lost your virginity the same age I lost mine, before me too, doesn't mean you can charm a woman." He paused and muttered, "You probably tricked the chick or something…" This time he spoke louder, "Hey, how much did you pay her?" The comment earned him a hard punch in the arm. Naruto flinched, rubbing the spot before muttering curses to the man next to him.

"It doesn't matter whether I can or not," Sasuke replied, cracking his knuckles. "Either way I'm going to have to since you can't charm both of the targets." He spoke in a knowing tone.

A sheepish grin came across Naruto's face, "I can charm them _both_! I can have the two hanging by my arms in two seconds _flat!_ One second for each of them that is."

"You're not here to charm girls, Naruto, _we're_ here to kill our targets," the raven-haired killer replied coolly, looking around their surroundings once they exited the inn they were staying at.

"You take things way to seriously, especially the missions Akatsuki gives us. Lighten up, Sasuke-bastard!"

"Shut up," he snapped back, walking towards a restaurant with Naruto behind him. As they passed, girls walking by them blushed and giggled. Naruto smiled charmingly back at them and Sasuke remained stoic; punching Naruto every time the blond-haired assassin smiled.

"Stop being so friendly. We're here for professional business."

"What if one of the girls are our targets and they changed their looks after they took the photo?" Naruto said, surprising in a clever manner.

Sasuke grunted. _Damn, he's got a point. There's no date as to when these photos were taken._

Naruto grinned at Sasuke's clenched mouth, "Ha! I stumped the 'great' Uchiha!"

Sasuke whacked him from the back of the head, and Naruto glared. "Quit doing that!" the blond assassin complained.

In response his associate grunted, "For God's sake, Naruto, you're 18 years old, start acting like it."

Naruto scowled, "I am acting like it! Like the time we got that assignment to that blonde chick and I—"

"I don't need information on your sex life, dobe." Sasuke said, quickly cutting Naruto off.

The appealing man gave a sheepish grin, "Why not? Normal guys talk about sex, and I figured since we're both guys, we should—"

"Shut up," Sasuke said gruffly.

Naruto shrugged, "Fine, if you don't want to talk about my sex life, what about yours, teme?"

Sasuke almost fell over from Naruto's question as they walked along the streets. "None of your business," he said sternly.

The blond eyed Sasuke with distinct cerulean blue eyes, "Oh, really? Maybe you've just never had sex and you're too s-s-scared to admit it," he said in a mocking voice, continuing, "and you never really did lose your virginity, and you just said that as a lie to make yourself look cool. Hah, as if _any _girl that _isn't _out of their mind would want to bed you!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, realizing that he wasn't going to give the subject up unless he gave proof. He sighed, "Remember that assignment we got to that red-haired girl? Her name was Ami or something…"

His partner nodded, "Yeah, I remember. I charmed her and left her with you to kill…" he paused for a moment, "She _is_ dead, right?"

The Uchiha nodded, and a smirk came on his face, "Aa, but before I killed her, I fucked her, five times straight. And there were plenty of other assignments where I—"

"_Damn_, Sasuke! You sex-hound!" Naruto commented, laughter erupting from the man. "Oh well, look on the bright side, you're not alone! Just look at me for example!" The blond pointed to himself proudly.

"Right…" Sasuke muttered under his breath, before pulling Naruto fiercely and shoving him inside a dark shadow of a building.

Naruto raised his eyebrow, "Teme? What the hell was that for?" Sasuke punched him as an effort to halt Naruto's questioning, causing the said person to growl, "Hey! What are you—?"

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, "the targets are right there."

Naruto cocked his head to the side in a confused manner, peering over Sasuke's broad shoulder to see where the said man was looking at. He followed his onyx gaze to a pair of two girls, the same girls that matched the photos they were given. The pink-haired girl beamed at the dark-haired one, talking consistently as the dark-haired girl nodded meekly and had a light blush on her cheeks.

"Shall we go make ourselves known?" asked Naruto, beginning to walk over to them with an appealing smile on his face until Sasuke jerked him back from his collar.

"Not yet, let's see what they're talking about," his co-worker answered as Naruto nodded at the plan.

The two girls were standing near a grocery store, just at the outside of it. "Hinata-chan," Sakura said, holding up an orange as she talked to the girl named Hinata. "What do you—hey, what're you doing? Come here and help me select what fruits we should get for the party!"

"U-Um, Sakura-chan, its not really mandatory that we bring something…" Hinata mumbled, index fingers pressing together in a shy habit.

Sakura glanced at her, "I know! But it's at one of the rooms in the Hokage's Mansion, I think we should bring something decent, right?"

Naruto and Sasuke, after moving so that they were a few feet away from them but were still hidden, glanced at each other from the set of information they had just received.

"Oh? They're going to a party tonight?" Naruto said, and Sasuke ignored him and continued listening to them.

"Sakura-chan, i-it's 3:00 p.m. right now. The party doesn't start till 7:00 p.m." The Hyuuga informed quietly.

Sakura shrugged commenting nonchalantly, "Yeah, I guess you're right." She began walking, tossing the orange she had held in her hand back into the pile of oranges she had retrieved it from. "Let's just go and find something to wear to it. Tsunade-sama said to be formal."

_This is too easy,_ Sasuke thought. _They just gave us all the information we need to find them._

"Ne, that dark-haired girl, Hinata I think her name was, is pretty quiet," spoke Naruto, putting his hand up to his chin as a grin spread on his face, "I like it!" He turned over to his raven-haired best friend, "What do you think of the pink-haired girl? Sakura or something, right?"

The Uchiha shrugged, "She's okay."

Naruto scoffed and nudged Sasuke, "Yeah, right! You couldn't take your eyes off of her!" The said man glared at Naruto who smiled triumphantly in return, "See? I'm right!"

Naruto received another blow from the raven-haired man, causing Naruto to frown deeply, "Stop that, dammit! I'm fucking serious!"

Sasuke simpered at his reaction, "Dobe."

Naruto frowned deeper, yelling in response, "Teme!" The blond-haired assassin got up, brushing imaginary dust off of him, "Can we go introduce ourselves to them now?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Not yet."

Naruto groaned, "When then?!" he whined, "I'm getting bored!"

"Shut up, dumbass. We'll make ourselves known at that party tonight."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke curiously, "How will we do that? Aren't they only going to allow certain people in?"

Sasuke looked dully at Naruto, "Idiot, we've been trained on this before."

The latter person scratched his head, "Really? When? You mean from Kakashi-sensei? I don't remember…"

Sasuke clenched his mouth, _Why, out of all of the other assassins, was I paired up with this idiot? Did they want to see me torture? Who the hell in their right mind could even stand him?_

"Hello? Teme? Are you spacing out or something?!"

Naruto's outburst brought Sasuke out of his thoughts.

_Then again, he does have skills most others do not possess._

"Hn. Don't worry about getting in, I'll take care of that." At the piece of information, Naruto nodded.

At seven o' clock that day, it would be the beginning of the end for their targets.

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**A/N:**** Edit number two done. Read and review!  
**


	3. Waiting

**A/N:**** Edit number three :P**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. –falls over anime style–

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku. NaruHina.

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**Chapter 3 – Waiting**

"So, teme, what do we do in the meantime till it's time to go to that party?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head.

The two men were walking along the streets back to their inn, stealthily leaving their targets behind as they continued to shop.

"I don't know," Sasuke answered simply, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Just then, his phone started to ring. He took it out, glancing at the caller ID as Naruto glanced at is as well, peering over his broad shoulder.

"Oi, who is it?" Naruto asked, folding both of his arms behind his head.

"The leader."

Naruto gave him a bored side-glance, "The bastard who gave us this mission?" Sasuke nodded in response.

He flipped the phone open, putting it on speaker as he and Naruto hid in the shadows of a local alleyway. "What the hell do you want, Orochimaru?" Sasuke spat.

(**A/N:** **For the sake of the story, Orochimaru's the leader of Akatsuki.**)

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, is that really the way to answer?" Orochimaru's sly voice said sarcastically.

"What do you want, Orochimaru?" Naruto said in place of his fuming best friend.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, I figured you were there." Orochimaru said in a bored tone. "Have you killed the two targets yet?"

"Not yet, but we will," Sasuke answered sternly.

Orochimaru nodded on the other line, "You have another task in the meantime. He's just around your area, in Konoha. His name's Sarutobi. He's an old geezer, he shouldn't be that hard to find. Go and kill him immediately. Once you hang up this phone call, I expect him dead. Got it?"

"Why do you want him dead?" Naruto asked curiously.

"That's confidential. Now go." Just as Sasuke was about to hang up the phone, Orochimaru added, "If I don't see his death reported on the news tonight, consider your lives ended."

Both men growled at the threat as Sasuke closed the phone, pocketing it in his pocket and then he glanced at Naruto. "Dolt, what're you waiting for? Let's go."

Naruto scowled at him, his mouth quirking as he muttered, "Arrogant asshole…" Then he began following Sasuke stealthily to kill their new target.

They got to an apartment; quickly finding out from Orochimaru that Sarutobi lived there. Sasuke took out a pistol as Naruto did the same. They walked casually inside the apartment building. When they reached Sarutobi's apartment door, they barged inside, surprising the old man.

"Wh-who are you?!" asked the senior man, his voice alert.

"Time's up for you, old man," Naruto spoke darkly. With a click of Sasuke's pistol, a bullet was fired, soon followed by a bullet from Naruto's pistol, and Sarutobi was dead. The old man fell to the ground, eyes still open and clothes soaked in blood.

"What was that?!" They heard near by residents yell. Naruto quickly opened a window and crawled out, Sasuke right behind him. In less than five minutes, police were gathered at the scene.

Sasuke and Naruto hid in another local alleyway and Sasuke's phone started to ring again.

"He dead?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yep," Sasuke answered coldly, him and Naruto pocketing their pistols.

"Good, now go get the other two." The dial tone went down, and Sasuke shut his phone off again.

The two assassins walked out of the alleyway, acting like a normal civilian as they looked over at the crime scene.

"Made sure there was no trace?" Sasuke asked Naruto, referring to the murder they had just done.

Naruto nodded, "Yep, like there was never a murder. I stuffed the old man's body in a closet before I left."

Sasuke sneered, hitting Naruto in the back of the head, "Baka, his blood trail's going to lead to the closet."

Naruto scowled at the young Uchiha and folded his hands behind his head, "Who cares? He's dead anyway, they're going to figure that out soon." Then a foxy grin grew on Naruto's whiskery face, "We're just too good for them to find out it was us."

"They'll know it was us, since we cleaned up the act so well." Sasuke concluded, meaning that the clean murder was normally a trademark for the two professional assassins. The two headed back to the inn they were currently staying at.

Naruto walked inside Sasuke's suite as well as Sasuke. "5:00p.m. teme, that party starts in two hours." Naruto said after taking one look at the digital clock. Sasuke nodded. "Let's rest for an hour, then get ready," Naruto suggested, plopping down on a couch and turning on the T.V. to the news.

Sasuke said nothing, just went over and sat beside the blond haired killer.

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Sakura and Hinata were back at Sakura's house after they had gone shopping.

"I can't wait for tonight," Sakura said, a happy smile on her pretty face.

Hinata gave a small smile as she twiddled with her fingers, "M-me too, Sakura-chan." Sakura was currently rummaging through the dresses in her closet as Hinata sat on Sakura's pink bed.

"Hinata-chan, if you're bored, you can turn on the T.V. if you like," the pink-haired girl told the dark-haired girl.

Hinata nodded at the information, "I think I'll do that."

Sakura stopped looking through her closet when Hinata took the remote and turned on the T.V., flipping to the news channel.

"This just in," the reporter said, "Sarutobi, a well respected and adored man, has been murdered as of today, at 4:47p.m. this evening." Hinata's pearly white eyes widened and Sakura gasped and raised a hand to her mouth. "His murderers are currently unknown as police investigate the scene." Sakura shook her head sorrowfully and Hinata did the same.

The journalist went on, "Police officers have just informed us that the murderers could have been professionals, looking at the crime scene." The news reporter then turned the microphone to a local police officer; "We think it might have been the legendary two, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, from the looks of the crime scene."

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto?" Sakura said, repeating the information, "Aren't those two the best assassins known throughout the Fire Country? Everyone knows of their name…" Her mouth quirked, "However, for their reputation it sure was a futile mistake to leave their names behind, despite the fact that no one knows what they look like."

Hinata nodded as she twiddled her thumbs, "It's a shame that Sarutobi d-died though." She frowned, "He was such a good man…" The girl wiped her moistening eyes.

Sakura nodded, taking out a smooth strapless black dress that outlined all of her curves. She then pulled out a dress similar, except it had straps and was a dark indigo color.

"Hinata-chan," Sakura said, holding the indigo dress, "here, you can wear this."

Hinata took the dress and examined it, then smiled at her friend despite her emotion earlier. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

-

-

-

Naruto chuckled, "Hear that, Sasuke-teme? We're on the news!"

Sasuke smirked, "Of course we are, dobe."

Naruto had a sheepish grin on his face and the female news reporter continued, "As to what Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto looked like, that still remains unknown, unfortunately. This is the five o' clock news."

Sasuke took the remote and flipped the T.V. off, earning an unpleased groan from Naruto. "Teme, I wanted to watch some more!"

The Uchiha sighed at Naruto's childlike behavior. "Go get dressed," He ordered sharply.

"But it's only 5:27p.m.!" Sasuke glared at his associate for his defiance, and Naruto stood up, his arms crossed grumpily.

"Fine, I'm only going because I'm eager to meet the two girls we're supposed to kill. Don't think I'll always listen to your orders, you ass!" Naruto trudged out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"…Idiot." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Naruto's voice yelled at the distance between him and Sasuke's room, which wasn't much since the rooms were right next to each other. "I'm not deaf, you jerk!"

After a passing time of a mere ten minutes, both men came out in sleek black tuxedos. The dress shirts they wore were loosely hanging out of their pants instead of being tucked in. Naruto's hair was ruffled in a messy but good-looking way. Sasuke's hair was wet, and hung loosely in front of his dark onyx eyes and around his face as a result of just coming out of a shower.

"Let's go," said the raven-haired killer, Naruto nodding and following him as he walked.

-

-

-

Sasuke and Naruto arrived at the party and were allowed inside.

"Oi, teme, how'd you get us in?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.

"I have connections," came the cool reply from the Uchiha, his onyx eyes scanning the room for the two female targets.

"If you're looking for the girls, I already found them." A cheeky smile appeared on Naruto's face.

_What's he so smiley about?_ Sasuke wondered, his face still in its stoic expression, trying to follow his co-worker's cerulean gaze.

Naruto pointed to the two and Sasuke followed his point, and then he knew why Naruto was grinning. Sakura had her hair tied up in a messy bun as pink strands hung out of the chopsticks in her hair. Her smooth black dress outlined her curves perfectly, and she had a shining white necklace around her neck with a small black purse on her arm.

Hinata's hair was left down and the long dark-blue hair rested nicely on her petite shoulders. The dark indigo color fitted her pale skin fine, and the blush that adorned her cheeks fit her look. She had a couple bracelets on with a small purple purse, as well as a purple pendant hanging from her neck.

"They look different from the picture," Naruto pointed out bluntly, giving a wolf whistle of approval.

"Idiot…" Sasuke muttered, onyx orbs closing as he shook his head at his companion's comment.

"Can we introduce ourselves _now_?" said Naruto in a whining voice.

Sasuke smirked, "…Aa, now we can go."

_This assignment won't be that hard…_ both thought as they sauntered their way to their targets.

* * *


	4. Introduction

**A/N:** **Edit four.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. But I do own this story! –flips in mid-air–

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with?SasuSaku NaruHina

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Introduction**

"When we go over to the targets, don't start flirting with them immediately, we don't want them to think we're sex-crazed hounds," Sasuke said to Naruto, quickly giving him last minute advice as the two men casually strode over to Sakura and Hinata.

"But we _are_ sex-crazed hounds!" Naruto joked, snickering.

Sasuke sneered, punching Naruto, "Tch, dobe."

Naruto scowled at the raven-haired man, "Teme! What the hell was that—!"

Sasuke elbowed him, "Shut up, they're right over there."

Naruto instantly quieted and put on a charming smile. "Well? What're we waiting for?"

The blond-haired killer looked over at his partner, and a foxy grin replaced the charming smile. "Jeez teme, I know we're sex-crazed hounds and all, but at least try and keep your lustful gaze off of the girls for ten seconds!" Sasuke, who was just merely intently staring at the targets, gave a death glare to Naruto.

As Naruto began to head towards Sakura and Hinata, Sasuke held his arm out in front of the eager man, stopping him. "Teme? What's the deal?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, "Baka, we need to figure out what names we're going to use when we say who we are. We can't use our real names, that'll blow our cover."

Naruto frowned at the realization and stood where he was, putting his hand up to his chin as he pondered over what to call him and Sasuke as their "undercover" names. "Ooh, I know!" he said, "How about 'Tweedledee' and 'Tweedledum'?" If Sasuke didn't have his Uchiha pride, he would've fell over laughing his head off. Especially because Naruto looked really proud of the substitution names he had come up with.

"Jackass," Sasuke muttered, giving Naruto a hard punch for his "clever" idea.

The two continued to walk over until they were right beside Hinata and Sakura, who were in the meantime talking amongst themselves.

"I still think we could've at least brought something here," Sakura said as she spoke with Hinata, "I mean, I feel kind of awkward not having anything—"

"Ahem," Naruto's voice said, getting the girls' attention. Sakura blinked, turning around as Hinata glanced at the stranger who interrupted their conversation. "Hello there ladies," Naruto said, giving them a charming smile.

Sakura gave a friendly smile and Hinata blushed. "Hey," the pink-haired girl replied casually as Hinata fiddled with her fingers and avoided Naruto's gaze.

_Oh, so she's cute and shy?_ Naruto thought, grinning. _Makes her even cuter._

Sakura, noticing her friend's shy actions, looked at Naruto, then turned her emerald green gaze to Sasuke. A light blush adorned her porcelain cheeks.

_Wow… he's kind of cute._

_**Yeah, but we're not here to find boyfriends,**_ Inner Sakura retorted.

"Allow me to introduce both of us," Naruto said. He then pointed to himself, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, sexiest man alive." Sakura and Hinata giggled from Naruto's statement. "And this anti-social guy beside me," He gave a sheepish grin when Sakura and Hinata giggled again, "is Uchiha Sasuke, who as you can see is not as sexy as me."

"Don't push it, dobe," Sasuke warned through gritted teeth. He noticed Sakura eying him with interest and smirked at her, earning a noticeable shade of pink on both of her cheeks.

"O-Oh, right, we should introduce ourselves," Sakura said, trying to regain her calm composure.

"I'm Haruno Sakura, and this," she pointed to her midnight-haired friend, "is Hyuuga Hinata."

Naruto and Sasuke nodded and Naruto gave a foxy grin. "So," he said, "are you two lovely ladies single?"

Hinata's pearly white eyes noticeably widened at the question, "Um…"

"Depends," Sakura replied, saving her friend from embarrassment as she batted her long eyelashes. "Who wants to know?"

Sasuke smirked. _Oh, so this girl knows how to turn the tables. Well, two can play at that game._

Sasuke walked beside her, not taking his onyx gaze off of her. "Well, if you're taken, then Naruto and I have no business being here," he turned to the blond-haired man, "Isn't that right, Naruto?"

Naruto walked beside Hinata, knowing what Sasuke was trying to do. "Yeah, that's true." He draped his arms over a blushing Hinata's shoulders, "It's a shame you guys are taken. Mind introducing us to your boyfriends?"

Sakura laughed lightly, "Okay, okay, we're single." She gave Sasuke an attractive smile, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Think of it this way," Naruto said, "you two aren't single anymore."

Sakura looked at Hinata with an amused smile, "Oh, is that so? Wow, out of all the boys we've dated, Hinata-chan and I have never heard a line like that."

Naruto frowned, "All the boys you've dated?" he repeated, a hint of jealousy in his tone. "And how many exactly is that?"

Sakura shrugged, "I don't know, do you know Hinata-chan?"

Hinata gave a gentle smile, following her friend's ploy. "Well, um… Sakura-chan, I think there's too many to count…"

Sasuke grinned, "Good, so you two aren't inexperienced."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Sasuke, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What Sasuke-teme means is, you're not the only ones with 'experience' in the fact that you've dated lots of people," Naruto said with a cheeky grin. "We've gotten to 'know' lots of chicks too." He gave a coy wink and Hinata felt her heart flutter. "If you know what I mean," he added.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "So, what? We're just two pieces of eye-candy for you 'handsome gentlemen'?"

Sasuke elbowed Naruto, "Don't listen to the dobe," he quickly said. "Besides, you two are different."

Hinata took the moment to speak up, "How is that?"

Sasuke gave a sexy smirk, "Well for one thing, no girl we've ever met would speak to us like that."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah," he agreed, "I like that in a girl." His cerulean blue gaze fixed on Hinata at his last sentence, making the girl red-faced, as she would occasionally shyly meet his gaze.

Sakura blinked, realization dawning her, _Wait… they're names…_

"What were your names again?" she asked.

Naruto rose an eyebrow, repeating himself, "Uzumaki Naruto," he pointed to Sasuke, "Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura's emerald green eyes slightly widened. She looked at Hinata with a side-glance, and noticed her friend looking back at her. "Will you excuse us for a second?" Sakura said quickly, taking Hinata's wrist and leading her elsewhere, making sure the two were away from hearing distance.

"Did you hear that?" Hinata said in a quiet voice, index fingers fingering the hem of her dress.

"Their names…" Sakura nodded, biting her lower lip. "Yeah, they're names. They have the same names as the two assassins, you know, the two that police think might've killed Sarutobi."

They heard a chuckle behind them, and the two immediately turned around.

"Oh, Naruto, Sasuke, you guys scared me," Sakura said, putting her hand on her neck and inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"We were just walking by…" Naruto said casually, hands pocketed in his tuxedo as he leaned forward back on the tips and balls of his feet. "…And we just happened to 'overhear' a part of your conversation…"

Both of the girl's breathing hitched in their throats even though they tried to retain a calm expression.

Naruto rose an eyebrow, "What's the matter, ladies?" Sasuke noticed their tense bodies, raising an eyebrow as well.

"Your names…" Sakura said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What about them?" Sasuke retorted, narrowing his onyx eyes.

"They're… They're just…—" Hinata started, finding that she couldn't complete her sentence.

Naruto chuckled lightly, folding his arms behind his head.

"Oh, you think we're 'deadly assassins', huh?" he spoke, a wide grin spread on his whiskery face, asking the unasked question in the two . "We get that a lot, turns out the police had mistaken the names of the killers."

He turned to look at his raven-haired best friend, "Isn't that right, teme?"

Sasuke gave a hint of a nod, "Hn."

"When you get home, you can look on the news if you want," Naruto offered, seeing their distrust on their faces. "They never did correct that error…" he lied through his teeth.

"Yeah, we'll check," Sakura said, giving Sasuke and Naruto a fake smile.

"No need to be so cautious," Sasuke bluntly pointed out. "It's not like we're going to do anything to you."

_I wouldn't be so sure,_ Sakura thought in her mind.

"What do you think, Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked, turning to Hinata with a small smile on her face, "Should we trust him?"

Hinata returned the smile, "I-I don't know, Sakura-chan. Whatever you want to do, I suppose."

Sakura turned to the blond and raven-haired killer.

"Well…" she gave them a playful smile, "I guess we'll trust you… for now." She then walked up to them, meeting Sasuke's intense onyx gaze. "But any sign of 'assassin-like' behavior," she said, clearly teasing from her tone and expression, "and we're calling the cops."

"You can trust us," Naruto reassured. "Hell, if you see any 'killing' business, I'd get the phone for you."

Hinata giggled quietly from his statement, "Sure…"

"Well, we don't really have much to do here," Sakura said, glancing over the crowd before looking at Hinata. "Isn't that right, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata smiled, "Un, nothing here."

Sasuke smirked, offering, "We'll take you out."

Sakura put one hand on her hip, leaning her weight on her right leg. "Or…" she said in a seductive tone, "we can go back to my place."

Sasuke's smirk widened, "That too."

Naruto chortled, "So you guys 'trust' us now? Or is this some type of test?" He beamed.

"You'll have to f-figure that out," Hinata stated, trying to keep a straight face as she smiled despite the redness forming on her cheeks.

_I'll take that as a "Yes, we trust you."_ Naruto thought, a sheepish grin on his face, his arms still behind his head.

"Let's go then," Sakura said, starting to head out as Sasuke walked beside her, behind them Naruto and Hinata walking side-by-side following.

* * *


	5. Interactions

A/N: Hello everyone

**A/N:** Hello everyone. Thank you for being patient with me! I really appreciate it. And as for the two people…you'll discover who they were later. Good guesses everyone.(:

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku NaruHina

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Interactions**

Hiccups and drunken laughter filled the pub of the bar as Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, and even Hinata had drank a few cups of sake.

Sakura, Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke had all walked out of the party, talking amongst themselves. As they had their conversations, Sakura had walked them to a local bar, where they all had sat down, ordering a couple of drinks as Naruto and Sasuke explained why they were there.

"We're here to take care of some business for our company," Sasuke said in his deep, rich voice. Naruto swirled the sake in his cup, a cheeky grin on his face as he nodded his head in agreement. Sakura nodded at the information.

"How long will you be staying then?" She asked, taking a small sip of the alcohol from her cup.

Sasuke didn't answer, letting his partner reply. Naruto merely shrugged, "It depends. We already completed a part of why we're here, and we're not sure how long it'll take. Right Sasuke-teme?" The blond-haired assassin nudged the Uchiha Prodigy, earning a low growl from his raven-haired best friend.

Naruto turned to Hinata. "Ne, Hinata-chan, why don't you have a cup?" He offered a sake bottle to the Hyuuga Heir, along with a glass cup. Sakura laughed quietly at his offer.

"Hinata-chan doesn't drink," Sakura explained to Naruto. Hinata fiddled with her fingers, her face blushing red when Naruto raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, I see then," Naruto said, putting the glass down and filling it up. "Well, I guess I'll have to change it." Hinata looked up at him from his statement, only to see him in front of her, offering her a glass of sake. "Come on Hinata-chan! One sip won't kill you! I guarantee it!"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "You can't force her to—" Sasuke held a hand in front of her mouth, a signal to be quiet.

"It's fine," Sasuke reassured the pink-haired woman. "Naruto isn't the type of guy to force someone, especially a girl, to do something they don't want to do. All he does it push it, but doesn't force it." Sakura said nothing back, just frowned, until the frown turned into a small smile.

"N-No thanks Naruto-k-kun, I'm fine," Hinata said, putting her hands in front of her face when Naruto kept on pushing the glass near her mouth.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto whined. "Come on! Just a little sip! Please?" Hinata looked at Sakura, her pearly eyes quietly asking for help, and Sakura smiled, making a motion with her hands for Hinata to do it.

"A-Ano… all right," Hinata said, finally giving into Naruto's pleads. A big foxy grin appeared on Naruto's whiskery face.

"Yeah! That's the spirit Hinata-chan!" Naruto encouraged, handing her the sake-filled glass. Hinata peered inside it carefully, studying it. She looked up at Naruto, then at Sakura, then at Sasuke, and looked back into the glass.

Naruto, catching her unsure expression, said, "You don't have to drink it, Hinata-chan." Hinata looked at Naruto sincerely, and lifted the glass to her lips, sipping down the sake. Naruto, slightly surprised that she actually drank it, was impressed that she actually went through with it. "Wow Hinata-chan, you're risky," Naruto chimed, a pleased grin on his face. "I like that."

Hinata hiccupped, causing Naruto and Sakura to laugh while the Hyuuga female blushed in embarrassment. Since Hinata didn't normally drink, the alcohol took a strong effect on her system. She drank down the full cup, and after getting a few more glasses, thanks to a certain blond-haired man; she wasn't exactly "herself."

"Hinata-chan? You're looking pale, maybe you had to many glasses?" Sakura asked, when she noticed Hinata's usual pale skin even whiter than it normally was. Hinata hiccupped again, and Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Hinata-chan?"

"I'm—" A hiccup, "—fine, Sakura-chan. Don't—" another hiccup, "—worry about me." Hinata gave her pink-haired companion a drunken smile, and Sakura just rolled her eyes, a smile on her face when she was listening to Hinata's slurred speaking.

-

-

-

A few more hours passed, and Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto each had at least five cups of sake. After the second cup, their vision started to blur slightly, then after a few more cups, they all became intoxicated, joining Hinata's drunken state with the sake.

"You guys all look drunk," Sakura slurred, her body leaning left to right, bumping Naruto's shoulder on the left and bumping Sasuke's shoulder on the right as she leaned from side to side. She giggled drunkenly, her face red from the massive quantity of the consumed sake.

"Well, you don't look so good yourself," Naruto mumbled back, his face also red as he held up his sake cup.

"I think—" a hiccup, "—Naruto-kun looks the worst, though," A drunken Hinata managed to say, without stuttering.

Sasuke smirked. Normally, sake didn't affect him as much after the first few glasses. But after having 7 glasses, not even an Uchiha can help not getting drunk. "She's right," Sasuke said, his infamous Uchiha smirk still plastered on his handsome pale face. "The dobe does look the worst, but that's nothing new."

"Actually, Sasuke-kun, you look pretty bad too," Sakura said, her drunken smile still on her porcelain face. "I think you're even—" Hiccup, "—worse than Naruto-kun." She gave a whole-hearted laugh, joined in by the other two, as her hands played with the collar of Sasuke's shirt.

Sakura's emerald green eyes glazed over, and she let go of Sasuke's shirt, and drank some more sake. Then, she started ruffling Sasuke's spiky raven hair in place of playing with the collar of his shirt. "How—how do you get you're hair so… so spiky, Sasuke-kun?"

She started to tug on his hair when Sasuke grinned at her, locking an arm around Sakura's thin waist and latching her onto his lap. A drunken Sakura gave a small squeal of excitement, and continued to play with his hair as Sasuke growled to her, "I like it when you do that." The pink-haired woman giggled from the comment.

"Damn Sasuke… Sasuke-teme, at least wait until the hotel room," Naruto managed to say, until he looked at Hinata with interest in his cerulean blue eyes. Hinata caught his interested gaze and her face flushed furiously.

"Hinata-chan's not like that Naruto," Sakura slurred, giggling as Sasuke kissed her neck, licking it from time to time. Naruto glanced at Sakura, then peeled his eyes away from the pink-haired woman as his raven-haired best friend continued getting giggles out of her.

Sasuke's hand began tugging on Sakura's dress, growling impatiently when the piece of clothing wouldn't come off. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura whined. "Stop that."

"This—needs—to—come—off," Sasuke grunted in response. He looked at her, his dark onyx orbs glazed with lust. "We're going back to my hotel room."

Sakura, still in her drunken state of mind, looked at him curiously, cocking her head to the side. She smiled at him, and gave a small shrug, "Okay." Sasuke smirked, gave Naruto and Hinata a brief nod, and grabbed Sakura's wrist, leading the blushing drunk girl out the bar and back to the hotel that him and Naruto were staying at.

"Is he always like that?" Hinata asked Naruto in her quiet, timid voice. The blond threw her a sheepish grin, nodding his head.

"So… Hinata-chan…" Naruto drawled out lazily, scooting up right next to her as she looked at him with curious pearl eyes. "Anything you want to do?"

-

-

-

Sasuke shoved open his hotel room, pulling a still blushing Sakura inside it and kicking the door closed. He pulled her in front of him, crushing his lips on hers and kissed her greedily. She made a small noise from the sudden force, and kissed him back greedily.

Sasuke pushed her back against a wall, tracing his hand down the side of Sakura's body from her shoulders to her hips. Sakura's hands moved down Sasuke's hard chest, her fingers pressing against his abs, and then resting at his waist. Their tongues fought for dominance in each other's mouths.

Sakura moaned into the kiss when Sasuke lifted her up slightly, resting his leg in between her legs and putting her down, making his leg in between her own legs. They both pulled away, panting from their heated make out session.

"Bedroom?" Sasuke asked her, resting his forehead on Sakura's as they both panted for air.

"Sure," Sakura nodded, moving her head rapidly up and down. He chuckled, smirking at her as he carried her bridal style to his bedroom.

* * *


	6. Risky Actions

**A/N:**** Next chapter.**

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku NaruHina

**Chapter 6 – Risky Actions**

His bedroom door slammed open, the both of them walking in. Sakura currently had her legs wrapped around Sasuke's lean waist, their mouths currently hungrily kissing each other. Soft hands gripped Sasuke's shirts tightly as Sasuke held her by the waist, pushing her tightly against him.

_**You're drunk you know,**_ Inner Sakura advised. _**I hope you know what you're doing.**_ But Sakura couldn't hear her alter ego's thoughts. Her mind was too clouded with drunken lust to even care. She moaned when Sasuke's tongue rubbed against hers, as she was once again pushed hard against the wall.

Her hands weaved through his spiky raven locks when he let go of her swollen lips, his mouth kissing down her neck as his teeth bit and his mouth sucked. Pants escaped Sakura's mouth, and she would squeal every time he bit her. As his mouth kissed her neck, his hands worked on her dress, trying in vain to tug it down.

When he saw that it wasn't coming off, Sakura removed his hands, taking off the tight dress, leaving her in a black lacy bra and her panties. Sasuke's dark onyx orbs flashed dangerously, clouded with lust as he eyed her body. A faint blush formed on Sakura's cheeks from his vicious gaze, but it was soon replaced with an ecstasy filled face as he took off her bra, his mouth immediately attacking her breast.

She gripped his hair when his tongue swirled around the hardened peak, a deep moan escaping from her throat. "Ohhh god," Sakura moaned, his hand squeezing and kneading her other breast until he switched the positions. Her usual bright green orbs turned a darker shade a jade.

Sasuke lifted her off of the wall, making his way to her bed. Sakura felt herself getting wet when he began to remove his clothing, starting with his shirt and then his pants, leaving his boxers on as he crawled back on top of her. He kissed her once again, his teeth gnawing on her bottom lip as she made whines of pleasure below him.

His hand slipped down to her panties, rubbing her clit from the outside with his index finger. Sakura moaned sexily into his mouth, tugging on his dark raven hair. Sasuke tore open her panties from the middle and Sakura looked at him, murmuring, "Those were my favorite pair," as she panted heavily.

The Uchiha above her smirked, plunging two fingers into her burning core. As Sakura was about to retort when he had smirked at her, her cheeks flushed with arousal, her dark forest green eyes turning darker as they filled with blind salacity. Her nails raked his back, clawing down as he inserted another big finger inside her hole.

A small hand grasped his calloused one, and he looked up at Sakura, raising an eyebrow. She smiled innocently, whispering seductively, "My turn." He grinned at her, and he followed her gaze down to the bulge growing in his boxers. She sat up, her fluids on the bed sheets as they flowed out as he had finger-fucked her, and she grasped the waistband of his boxers.

She gave him another innocent smile before tugging them down rapidly, letting his erection bulge out. She flushed cutely at the sight, and then licked her lips. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his neck, and he groaned when she trailed down, her fingers touching him all over his chest and kneading his shoulders.

She looked at him, watching him smirk knowingly at her; she then bent down, kneeling down before him. Make it slow and painful for him, she slowly put his shaft in her hot mouth. He groaned at the feeling, arousal coursing throughout his whole body. Her tongue rolled around the shaft, and Sasuke groaned louder, thrusting into her mouth.

She gagged until she got used to his pace, following his movements as his powerful hips buckled forward. Some cum ejaculated into her mouth from his sexual arousal, and she greedily swallowed it. She let his penis out of her mouth, sitting upright as she licked her lips.

Sasuke's dark onyx orbs flashed when she let go, and he once again hungrily attacked her swollen lips, gobbling at them as she fiercely kissed him back. He pushed her down, her back now hitting the mattress, their mouths still kissing each other wildly.

Sasuke muffled her scream when he roughly unexpectedly plunged into her, and she arched her back when he made an unsteady rhythm. Her hands weaved through his spiky raven hair, and he groaned when they moved to his broad shoulders, her fingernails raking down his back leaving scratch marks.

His head was bent down in the crook of her neck as he pumped his dick in and out of her silky tight core. His drunken mind loved how her muscles tightened around him, turning him on even more. He kissed her neck, scraping it with his teeth, licking it with his tongue. Sakura's moans filled the room as the scent became mixed with sweat and sex. "Damn you're so tight," Sasuke whispered in her ear as he whispered more dirty things.

Sakura eventually screamed as her orgasm came, her body collapsing and relaxing on the soft cushion of the bed below her. Sasuke followed, falling on top of her until he realized he was crushing her tiny frame and rolled off of her. The room was quiet for a while, just the sound of the both of them panting from the drunk sex they both had just experienced.

Sakura closed her eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep. Sasuke lied on his back, his arms folded behind his head with his dark onyx orbs closed as well, and after a few minutes he too fell into slumber…

-

-

-

Naruto and Hinata walked out, Naruto keeping a close distance to the drunken girl to make sure she didn't do something that she would later regret. "So anyway," Naruto said, babbling as Hinata held on to his arm to keep her balance. "I told Sasuke-teme that there was no way that he could beat me in a drinking contest, and he said 'Yeah I can dobe' and I was like 'No!' So we tried it and I won." He grinned and Hinata smiled.

"S-Sounds—" Hiccup. "—exciting, Naruto-kun." Hinata looked around as they walked on the dark streets of Konohagakure at two o'clock in the morning. "Where did Sasuke-san and Sakura-chan go?" she asked in her usual timid, quiet voice.

Naruto shrugged, "Probably off fucking each other or something." He felt Hinata tense up at his blunt statement, and he looked at her curiously, raising an eyebrow to show his curiosity. "Hinata-chan?" he said, getting her attention. "You okay?"

Hinata gave him a reassuring look, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Naruto, since his mind was still slightly poisoned with alcohol, nodded, grinning as they looked at the rode ahead. As they walked, a man came out, holding a knife.

"Tell your wench to give me her purse," the man ordered harshly, the knife's blade shimmering as the moonlight hit it. Naruto and Hinata looked up ahead, blankly staring at the man holding the dangerous weapon. "Did you not hear me?" he hissed at the two. "Give me your money!"

"Hinata-chan, stay back," Naruto whispered to her. He pushed her behind her, pushing her a little farther back as he took a few steps forward, cracking his knuckles. The man grinned sadistically at the two.

"How sweet," he said sarcastically. "That'll make it a lot more entertaining when I take your wench and fuck her senselessly in front of your eyes, you stupid fool." He charged at them, and Naruto followed his movements as he dashed from left to right with his cerulean blue eyes.

His blurry was slightly blurring, becoming clear, then blurring because of the massive intake of the beer glasses. When the thief raised his knife, aimed for Naruto's neck, Naruto took his hand, twisted it making the amateur thief drop it, and the blond-haired assassin used his other hand to land a hard blow in his attacker's gut, sending him flying backwards.

Naruto caught the knife that was falling at the ground, throwing it skillfully so that it pierced the man's arm. The man groaned from the pain, gripping his arm tightly as blood seeped out through his deep wound. Naruto, hearing a small shriek behind him, turned around, cursing when he saw the acquaintance of the robber giving Hinata a headlock.

"Let her go," Naruto whispered dangerously, his eyes flashing murderously. The man pulled out a knife, pressing it against Hinata's tender pale neck. Hinata bit her lip at the position she was in. Naruto, not in the mood of playing pointless games, reached inside his suit, taking out a silver pistol and clicking it as the bullet set into place. "I said," he repeated. "Let her go."

The thief's acquaintance tensed for a split second, and Hinata took advantage of the moment and elbowed him hard in the stomach, making him loosen his grip. She took hold of the knife he had let go of when she hit him, and kept it with her. The man stumbled backwards, gripping his stomach tightly as he spit out some blood.

_Whoa_, Naruto thought. _Hinata-chan sure is strong. _Hinata turned around, stumbling a little bit. Naruto walked up to her, holding her steady when she was about to trip. "Wow Hinata-chan, that was pretty impressive," Naruto complimented with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Thank you," Hinata said politely. "You did pretty good y-yourself."

"I did, didn't I?" Naruto joked, taking Hinata back to the hotel that him and Sasuke were currently staying at so they could rest back in his private room.

-

-

-

The morning beams shone brightly through the curtains, hitting the bed that Sasuke and Sakura were sleeping in. Sakura closed her eyes tightly before opening them slowly, blinking a few times as she said up, a silent yawn escaping her lips. She felt an unusual weight beside her, and turned around, her jade green orbs widening like saucers.

She looked down upon herself when she felt an unusual breeze. She shrieked, pulling the covers and covering herself. A faint blush fell on her cheeks when she saw that Sasuke was naked also. Sasuke sat up from the loud shriek, looking around as his onyx eyes snapped open. "What's going on?" he said quickly.

"Sasuke-kun? What am I doing here?!" Sakura yelled, absent-mindedly pushing Sasuke out of the bed as he landed beside the bed in a sitting position. He rubbed his back painfully as she also screamed, "And why are we both naked in a bed?"

"What do you _think_ we did if we're both naked in the same bed Sakura?" Sasuke said in a calm tone, still rubbing his back as a few strands of his raven locks fell in front of his eyes. "Besides, how the hell would I know how we both ended up here?" Sasuke added in an irritated tone. _Oh… my…_ Sakura thought. _Shit!_

-

-

-

Sakura sat in a chair in the kitchen, wearing one of Sasuke's oversized shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. Sasuke sat across the table from her, putting on the clothes he had brought with him. "How do you think we ended up in _your_ hotel room?" Sakura asked, calmed down from the big surprise before.

"I told you," Sasuke said, his eyebrows furrowing as his eyes narrowed. "How the hell would I know how we both ended up here?"

"We must have been doing something last night Sasuke-kun!" She yelled at him. She sighed, sinking down lower in her chair as she folded her arms over her chest. Her long pink hair was messy and down, reaching midway of her back. A pout was on her face as she thought of the possibilities of how they ended up where they were.

"What were we doing last night?" Sakura asked. "Can you remember anything?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know." He looked around his hotel room, and then looked at Sakura who was still looking at him. "Where are your friend and the dobe?" The pink-haired woman raised an eyebrow at his question, looking around at the surroundings.

"Weren't they with us?" Sakura asked. Her head throbbed as she focused hard on trying to remember. "All I remember was being at Tsunade-shishou's party…" She glanced at Sasuke. "Then I remember meeting you guys. After that, my mind goes blank."

"Aa," Sasuke muttered. "Same with me."

"We should go find Hinata-chan and Naruto-kun," Sakura inquired. "Maybe they know how we ended up… like this." Sasuke gave a small nod, following Sakura as they both got up, heading out the door and walking next door to Naruto's room. Sakura gently knocked on the door, "Naruto?" she called out softly.

When they heard no answer, Sasuke, who had grown impatient, pounded on the door, ignoring Sakura's calls of "how rude" it was. "Give me one damn minute teme!" Naruto yelled. "I heard you the first time!"

He opened the door, wearing only pants. Sakura looked at him, noticing his tanned chest before shaking her head, remembering why the both of them were there. "Teme, why's Sakura-chan wearing your clothes?" Naruto asked. Then he grinned foxily, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, I get it teme." He winked at the scowling raven-haired man.

Sakura blushed, "Naruto, we're here to talk to you. Where's Hinata-chan?" Naruto stepped back, pointing to the pearly-eyed girl who was sleeping in his bed. Sakura smiled seeing her friend, then looked at Naruto, "Wait, where did you sleep?"

Naruto grinned, "The couch. You weren't thinking I'd take advantage of Hinata-chan, did you?" Sakura sighed, smiling apologetically at Naruto for falsely accusing him.

Sasuke grunted, stepping inside as Sakura quickly followed, and Naruto closed the door behind them. "So, why the 'lovely' visit Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you see Naruto-kun…" Sakura began slowly. She looked at Sasuke, who frowned, and made the point of why they were there, in the morning, at seven o'clock, very simple in one sentence.

"What the hell happened last night?"

**A/N:**** End of that chapter. Yes! Two updates in one day! I feel so proud of myself, he he. Hope you liked—read and review!**


	7. Reminiscing

**A/N:**** No, I'm NOT dead. Sorry, I got lazy when it came to writing this. –dodges flying tomatoes– But I hope you like this chapter! Oh, has anyone noticed that lately for all my stories I've been writing way longer chapters? I go up to 7+ pages now. I'm happy. –grins–**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Gosh.

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with[SasuSaku [NaruHina

**Chapter 7 – Reminiscing**

"What the hell happened last night?" Sasuke asked oh-so-bluntly. His tone was firm, and he had his toned arms crossed over his lean chest. Sakura fidgeted slightly from his bluntness, but forced herself to wait patiently for Naruto's answer. Naruto rose an eyebrow at Sasuke's question.

Hinata began to shuffle slightly in her bed, until she opened one of her pearly white eyes and yawned quietly. She rubbed her eyes slightly until her vision cleared, and she looked around the room. "Sakura-chan? Sasuke-san? What are you guys doing here?"

Sakura and Sasuke pointed their heads to the new voice in the room. "Hinata-chan, you're awake," Sakura smiled at her companion. Hinata nodded, crawling out of Naruto's bed, heading towards the bathroom, and emerged with a clean, white robe on as she walked over to sit beside Sakura.

"Hey Hinata-chan! Did you have a nice rest?" Hinata blushed when Naruto flashed her a charming smile. The Hyuuga mumbled a few incoherent words, her fingertips pressed together in a nervous action.

"Thanks for letting m-me sleep in your bed, Naruto-kun," Hinata mumbled after clearing her voice loud enough for Naruto to hear. Naruto's ears perked at her statement, and after hearing it with his sharp hearing he beamed wider.

"Oh, that? Don't worry about it!" He said, chuckling while he lifted his arm, scratching the back of his blond hair. Hinata gave him a gentle smile, despite the weird feeling she felt, like she was forgetting something she meant to do. Just then, a memory flashed inside Hinata's mind.

_"Let her go," Naruto whispered dangerously, his eyes flashing murderously. The man pulled out a knife, pressing it against Hinata's tender pale neck. Hinata bit her lip at the position she was in. Naruto, not in the mood of playing pointless games, reached inside his suit, taking out a silver pistol and clicking it as the bullet set into place. "I said," he repeated. "Let her go."_

Hinata soon remembered what the weird feeling was. _He had a gun, _Hinata thought. _But where did he get that from? _When she had come back to Naruto's apartment with him, she had wanted to ask him about the pistol he had carried, but was too drunk and lightheaded to remember as she easily drifted off into sleep.

"Umm, N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata's quiet voice squeaked. Naruto looked at her, his face paying attention as he waited for her to continue what she was saying. "Can I talk to you in p-private?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, a confused look evident on his whiskery features.

"Uh, sure," Naruto said, standing up and following Hinata as she walked to a different part of the small hotel room Naruto had rented. Sakura gave Sasuke a confused look, and the Uchiha merely shrugged, closing his dark onyx orbs and leaning back. "So… what'd you want to talk about?" Naruto asked when they reached a different room.

The Hyuuga Heiress fiddled with her fingers. "I… have a question for you." Naruto cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to continue. "Uh…" Hinata mumbled, not knowing where to start. Naruto folded his arms over his chest, waiting for Hinata to gather her thoughts. "Where…" his ears perked when she spoke. "Where did you get the gun?"

Naruto flinched from her question, hoping that Hinata didn't see his flinch, but little did he know that she did. _So he did have a gun, _Hinata thought. "Gun?" He asked, trying to mask his assassination profession. "What are you talking about? I didn't have a gun."

"You did, I s-saw it Naruto-kun," Hinata persisted. "You pulled it out from y-your jacket last night and pointed it at the guy who was a-attacking me. Where did you get it from a-and why did you h-have it?"

Naruto shook his head, walking towards the door, "I didn't have a gun Hinata-chan. Maybe your eyes played a trick on you." _I need to be more careful from now on, _Naruto thought, mentally cursing himself for letting himself get carried away with the robber the night before. The blond assassin let himself out of the room, walking out and joining Sasuke and Sakura again. Hinata sighed, following Naruto and sitting beside him.

"What was that all about, dobe?" Sasuke asked, eyeing Naruto dangerously.

Naruto flashed him a quick grin, "Nothing, teme. Just some thing that Hinata thought she saw last night, no big deal." Sasuke narrowed his charcoal eyes at Naruto's statement.

"Naruto-kun, we _did _come here to ask you a question you know," said Sakura, crossing her legs. Naruto raised an eyebrow at what she had said, and Sakura clarified, "You need to tell Sasuke-kun and I what happened last night so we know why I ended up…" she gulped before uttering the next words, "in his bed."

"Oh, _that_," Naruto said, giving a foxy grin to the both of them. "Hmm… all I know is that we got drunk, oh, and that Hinata-chan got drunk for the very first time!" He turned to Hinata and gave her a quick congratulatory smile and a pat on the back. "But other than that… Do you remember anything Hinata-chan?" Naruto paused for a second. "Wait, Hinata-chan, don't you have a hangover? You drank a lot last night."

"I d-do have a big headache—" Hinata mumbled, and Naruto grinned, giving her another pat on the back.

"And she got her first hangover!" Sasuke snorted at Naruto's exclamation, and Sakura shook her head, amused at Naruto's happiness.

"Wait, Hinata-chan, _do _you remember anything?" Hinata looked up at Sakura's hopeful jade green orbs. Hinata laced her fingers in her lap, staring down at them as she quietly thought.

"W-Well Sakura-chan… you and Sasuke-san _were _getting a little… 'f-friendly' last night…" Hinata blushed, remembering their intimate display at the bar the night before. Sakura's porcelain face visibly paled, and Sasuke's eyebrows twitched slightly from Hinata's comment.

"Oh my god…" Sakura said, her voice barely above a whisper. She groaned loudly, slapping her forehead, "We _did _have sex!"

"Obviously," Sasuke said curtly. "How else do two people end up in a bed naked together?"

Sakura scowled at him, "I already _knew _we had sex, Sasuke-kun. It's just that we were both _drunk _when we did it!"

"So what?" Sasuke retorted. "It's not like you were a virgin or anything. Just take few birth control pills and you'll be fine."

"How would you know if I was a virgin or not?"

"I could tell." Sakura blushed from his blunt statement. Sakura opened her mouth to counter to his comment, but Naruto cut her off with a comment of his own.

"Well, now that we have that over with, how about Sasuke-teme and I treat you lovely ladies out to breakfast?" Naruto darted his cerulean orbs towards the clock and gave Sakura and Hinata a charming smile. "It's almost 8 o'clock anyway, might as well not waste the morning!"

Sakura folded her arms over her chest, "I'm not hungry." Just then her stomach growled, and she glared down at her stomach, despite the light, rosy blush that formed on her already red cheeks that were red from anger.

"There's no point in starving yourself," Sasuke said, and he smirked when she turned her head to the side after sticking her tongue out at him. Her childish behavior amused him, since he never had a target that would retort to him before. He leaned towards her, his breath tickling the shell of he ear. "Besides, I'm going to need my clothes back sometime."

Ignoring the fact that his hot breath sent a pleasurable tingle down her spine, she muttered a quick, "Fine." She stood up, brushing herself off.

Sasuke chuckled, standing up also. "That's my girl."

Sakura turned her head around and looked at him, scoffing. "Excuse me, _your _girl?" Sasuke gave her a charming grin, and Sakura could feel the heat on her face rising, but she wasn't sure if it was from his incredible charm or the anger that she felt from his arrogance.

Naruto stood up, walking with Sakura and Sasuke towards the door as Hinata quietly followed. "N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said quietly, but loud enough so that only Naruto could hear as Sasuke and Sakura had their own discussion. "I _did _see the gun—it was a pistol."

_Damn, I thought we were done with this conversation, _Naruto thought in his head. Naruto pretended he didn't hear her, and watched Sasuke and Sakura left, heading a different direction as Hinata glanced back at Naruto, giving him one final look before leaving. The blond assassin closed the door behind them, and walked towards his bed, jumping onto it as he folded his arms behind his head, taking in a deep breath and letting it out, sighing.

Meanwhile, Hinata told Sakura she was going back to the Hyuuga estate to get washed up, and Sakura nodded and then continued having her conversation with Sasuke. "Just because we had sex _once _mind you, does _not _make me your girl," Sakura said stubbornly, and Sasuke just continued flashing her the infamous Uchiha smirk.

"Just keep telling yourself that if it makes you happy," Sasuke retorted. "Besides, we'll have sex _more _than once." He grinned wide at her when he noticed her rosy cheeks. He leaned towards her, "And we _won't _be drunk, I assure you." Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but Sasuke swooped down, swiftly kissing her and swerving his tongue inside as it mingled with her own for a quick second.

He pulled back when he felt her just about to respond, and gave her a leer look. He turned on his heel, walking towards his hotel door and opening it, walking inside without looking back once. Sakura stood there, closing her mouth just after he had left, furrowing her eyebrows as she collected her thoughts at what had just happened.

_Damn, _Sasuke thought. _Almost got carried away with her. _He had never intended to kiss her, but her full, juicy lips were calling him, and he couldn't resist her bittersweet taste. It was addicting, damn it, and it left him wanting more. He ran a hand through his raven hair. _I've never had a problem like this with any of the targets I've had._

-

-

-

They had all agreed to meet at the nice little restaurant that, according to Sakura and Hinata, had just opened up recently. At first, Naruto was unsure, but after Hinata mentioned a few of the kinds of food they had there—including ramen—Naruto was head over heels to go try the new café.

"Th-Thanks for taking us out, N-Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san," Hinata said politely as the four of them were seated, Sasuke beside Naruto, across from Sasuke sat Sakura who was positioned beside Hinata. Sasuke merely nodded, and Naruto gave her a sheepish grin. Sakura gave a quick smile, also thanking Sasuke and Naruto for the meal.

"It's the least we can do for you ladies," Naruto said, giving them attractive smiles. Sasuke nudged Naruto, and Naruto glanced at him while Sakura and Hinata browsed the menu, having a quiet chatter amongst themselves. Sasuke held out his phone, showing Naruto the Caller ID as it vibrated in his hand. _Orochimaru_. Naruto backed up his chair and stood up as Sasuke did the same. Both girls glanced up at them.

"The dobe and I need to go take care of something real quick, we won't be long," Sasuke told them, answering their unasked question. Naruto started heading out, and Sasuke bent down, whispering in Sakura's ear, "Don't miss me too much." He chuckled when she smacked him lightly, rolling her eyes.

-

-

-

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, his voice blank but slightly irritated. Naruto stood beside him, and they were at the back of the restaurant, a place not many people went to.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru's slimy voice said. "My two _favorite _assassins…" Naruto cringed at the word 'favorite.' The snake man's tone then grew serious, "Why aren't you two back yet? You should've finished your mission days ago."

"We're completing it, Orochimaru," Naruto said in the phone.

"Why wasn't it done days ago? Just because they are… 'different' targets, does not give you the excuse to take your time with them."

"We don't use excuses," Sasuke growled.

_"Ah," _Orochimaru hissed, a malicious smirk grew on his features from the other line. "Don't tell me you've actually _fallen _for them." Sasuke snorted, Naruto scoffed. "I expect them killed by next week, do you understand me?" His voice hinted a threat underneath it.

"And if they are still alive?" Naruto challenged.

"Don't use that tone with me, _boy_," Orochimaru hissed, annoyed at the arrogance Naruto held in his voice. "You may be top assassins, but you won't be for long if they are not dead. Do I make myself clear?"

"They'll be dead by next week," Sasuke confirmed. "I'll see to it."

"They better be," Orochimaru said. Sasuke snapped the phone shut, and the line went dead. Naruto scowled, turning to his assassination partner.

"Why'd you do that?" Naruto barked in a calm tone.

"Do what?" Sasuke asked, a monotone look on his face.

"Agree with him, just like that, and confirm that they were going to be dead."

"Because they will be."

"I know that, but you didn't need to confirm it," Naruto growled. Sasuke glanced at him, narrowing his dark, onyx orbs. "What could he do to us? We could kick his sorry ass in less than a second. He thinks he has power over us, teme, because we do what he says."

"He doesn't have power over us," Sasuke snarled.

"When are we going to rebel like we said we would?" Naruto asked. "I'm getting sick and tired of doing everything that gay bastard tells us to do. You know that every single time he calls he tries to hit on you, teme." Sasuke twitched from Naruto's very blunt statement.

"I know that, you dumbass," Sasuke grumbled back. "We'll kill him later. Right now, we have a mission to do."

-

-

-

"Y-You know, Sakura-chan," Hinata said, a few seconds after Naruto and Sasuke had left. Sakura turned to her midnight-haired friend, waiting for her to continue. "Sasuke-san looks like he has an in-interest in you."

"He doesn't," Sakura countered. "He's just teasing me, that's all. Just trying to charm me. But I won't let him do it, I mean, I'm not going to boost his already arrogant ego." Hinata blinked, nodding at her friend's statement. "Besides, it looks like Naruto-kun's taking an interest in you too, Hinata-chan."

Hinata blushed, and Sakura gave her a knowing smile. "You like him too, don't you?" Hinata gave a meek nod, and Sakura was about to reply until Naruto and Sasuke started heading towards them, coming back from whatever they had to do.

"Hey," Naruto said, his cerulean eyes darting from Hinata to Sakura. "Sorry we took a while, teme was being the ass he is and took a his sweet time." Sasuke glared at Naruto, who was grinning sheepishly, and kicked him hard enough that he would have a dark bruise in a few seconds.

"No, it's fine," Sakura said, giving them a genuine smile. "We'll talk about this later," She hushed to Hinata, who gave her a small nod. Sakura, from the corner of her eye, noticed someone walking towards them… someone with silver hair? Her eyes widened visibly, and she turned her head, looking to the stranger approaching them.

Sasuke, seeing her change of expression, followed her jade green gaze and noticed the man walking towards them, and he rose an eyebrow. Soon Naruto and Hinata noticed him, and they both held a look of confusion. "Well, well, well," the guest said in a wise tone. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?" Naruto and Sakura said simultaneously. Then Naruto and Sakura glanced at each other.

"Wait, how do _you _know Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"No, how do _you _know him?" Naruto countered.

"Oh dear…" Kakashi said, chuckling to himself as he rubbed the back of his silver hair. "Did I come at a bad time?"

**A/N:**** I finished this chapter! Wow, I thought I wouldn't be able to, but I did. Yay. Okay, SORRY for the really long wait. Yes, over a month. Feel free to kill me. But I made the chapter long, if that helps… Sorry for the long wait. I'll try to update sooner! **

**And most importantly… Read && Review!**


	8. Confusions

**A/N:**** Wow, I'm so sorry you guys. School started, so much things going through my mind, and I've forgotten about updating my stories! So here's the update. Also, I think I'm going to move the plot along now, because I don't want this to go passed 20 chapters, if I can control it.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Gosh.

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with[SasuSaku [NaruHina

**Chapter 8 – Confusions**

"What do you mean how do _I _know him?" Sakura asked. The air was thick with confusion. Sasuke rose an eyebrow at Sakura, onyx orbs flickering back and forth from Sakura to Hinata, but mostly lingering on Sakura. Naruto was also staring at Sakura with a confusion written all over his face, and Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably at the awkward situation.

Kakashi, getting bored with the lack of speech, reached in his back pocket and took out his handy-dandy _Icha Icha Paradise_ novel—which was special edition—and with a very amused face, he flipped throughout the porn-filled pages as the uncomfortable silence still took place. But before he could finally get into reading his porn-action, Sakura ruined his opportunity by asking him a question.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're still in touch with Anko-sensei, right?" Sasuke and Naruto both gave side-glances towards each other as Hinata took a calm breath, relieved that the awkward moment was over.

"Anko?" Kakashi drawled with his usual lazy tone. He titled his head upward, his other hand that wasn't holding his prized orange novel grasping his chin as he thought. "Yes, I do, for business reasons and such. Why do you ask?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Naruto yelled. "Who the hell is Anko?"

"Anko_-sensei_ taught Hinata-chan and I when we went to Konoha University," Sakura answered, narrowing her eyes. "And that's where we met Kakashi-sensei"—she sent the silver-haired man a sly look—"Kakashi-sensei and Anko-sensei were going out at the time."

_At the university is where they found out about Akatsuki, _Sasuke mentally noted, remembering it had said so on the folder containing both the girl's information. Sasuke glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eye, and Naruto nodded, knowing what Sasuke meant. _Looks like we're taking a trip to Konoha University._

Kakashi let out an uncomfortable cough at the last sentence concerning him and Anko going out. "I didn't know people still found Kakashi date-worthy," Naruto whispered over to Sasuke who just clicked his tongue in response, arms crossed over his chest. Kakashi let out another cough too, this time a cough that said, 'I did hear that, you know.'

"What about you?" Sakura asked, her emerald green eyes still narrowed with suspicion. "How do you two know Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, fumbling with her thumbs, feeling all of a sudden put in an awkward situation again.

"Well… uh…" Naruto began, elbowing Sasuke discreetly for some assistance. Kakashi took the moment to pop out his orange porn novel once again, flipping through the contents with once again an amused expression.

"He's the head chairman of our company," Sasuke told them. "He's here to make sure that we're actually doing our job. Like a surprise test." Sasuke sent the silver-haired man a look, a look that clearly said, 'If you don't go with this I'll kick your ass so hard you'll never be able to sit again.'

Sakura looked at Kakashi, waiting for the man to verify Sasuke's explanation. Kakashi let out a silent sigh, once again disappointed about having to stop reading his prized novel. "Yes, I'm here to check on these two. And, it doesn't look like you two are doing what you're supposed to be doing." This time his face grew serious, his only visible coal eye narrowing slightly at the two assassins. Naruto gave a cheeky grin as Sasuke kept a blank composure.

In a way, what Sasuke had said was true. Kakashi wasn't exactly a "chairman" for the assassination organization Akatsuki, but he was an important member. One of the best, the man who had taught Sasuke and Naruto everything they knew. And, he was sent to check up on them, but only to see if they had killed the targets. The fact that it had been a few days and the deed still wasn't done, something that was very unlikely for them, had risen suspicions.

"I hope you two lovely ladies don't mind," Kakashi commented, "but I'm going to need to talk to these two alone. It's company policy, you see."

"Of course," Hinata said quietly as Sakura nodded in understanding. They both backed out of their seats, but Kakashi waved his hand.

"No need to do that, I'll just take them outside. It won't be long, don't worry, only a few minutes." Kakashi looked at Naruto and Sasuke. "You two, come with me." They both reluctantly got up, following him out the door of the restaurant, leaving the two girls alone at their table once again.

"You think what they said about Kakashi-sensei being the 'chairman of their company' thing was true?" Sakura asked Hinata.

"I-I don't know… something t-tells me it wasn't t-true…" Hinata fumbled with her thumbs.

"I agree. Kakashi-sensei was still at his place when we visited him the day before Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun arrived, and according to Tsunade-shishou, he never left. So how could he have gone back to their 'company'? Surely someone must have known if he left, and he can't leave without Tsunade-shishou's permission…"

"Maybe th-they called him to ch-check?"

Sakura rose an eyebrow, a hand brought up to her chin as she tilted it downward, thinking. "True, but according to the files Tsunade-shishou has about Kakashi, it doesn't say anything about working for another company in another village or nation."

"Y-You think Kakashi-s-sensei is hiding something from u-us?" Hinata asked, still stuttering as usual.

"Maybe."

"It's confusing…" Hinata said softly, Sakura nodding in agreement.

-  
-  
-

The three men headed to the back of the restaurant once again, a place that looked similar to a thin alley. Sasuke and Naruto casually leaned against the concrete wall, Kakashi standing with a disapproved look on his face. "Well?" Kakashi started. When the two said nothing, Kakashi continued. "What's the reason for why the two targets aren't dead yet?"

"Did that gay bastard send you here?" Naruto asked, Kakashi ignoring his use of profanity.

"No, I just decided to check on you myself." Kakashi slipped his hands inside his pockets. "I expected to hear that the two girls were dead by now on the news or from the villagers, but since I haven't heard anything, I came to check on things myself. And then I see you two, charming them—"

"They'll be dead by next week," Sasuke said, repeating what he had said to Orochimaru a while ago. Kakashi's face remained blank, though it was clear that he didn't believe them.

"Teme here already confirmed it with the homo himself, on the phone," Naruto explained.

Kakashi rose an eyebrow. "Did you now? Because Orochimaru called me, while I was checking the area in any news of the targets, and he told me to keep a close eye on you two." Naruto scowled, eyebrows furrowing tightly, usual bright cerulean eyes now darker. Sasuke scowled as well, annoyed at the fact that him and Naruto had to be watched while they did their work.

"Don't try anything funny," The silver-haired man warned.

Naruto clenched his teeth, "When are we finally going to get rid of that snake bastard?!" He took a step forward. "Come on Kakashi! We've talked about this a million times, when are we finally going to take some actio—"

Sasuke slammed his hand over his mouth. "Shut up, baka." Naruto raised his arm, gripping Sasuke's wrist tightly, pulling his hand off his mouth. The blond-haired man opened his mouth, but Sasuke cut him off, saying so quietly that only Naruto could hear, "Kabuto's listening."

"Dammit," Naruto punched a nearby wall, the concrete cracking slightly.

Kakashi nodded, "Just know you two are going to be closely watched now, and they better be dead by next week, as you said Sasuke." He lifted up his arm, checking the watch that was attached to his right arm. "Oh, looks like I should be getting you two back to your 'dates.'" He offered a ghost of a smile beneath his mask, walking back inside the restaurant, Sasuke and Naruto going back in as well.

-  
-  
-

"Well, that took long," Sakura commented, arms crossed. Hinata glanced at a nearby clock, noting how it was almost 8:30 a.m.

"Sorry ladies," Kakashi apologized, chuckling lightly. "I had some important things to discuss, and it looks like it took longer than I thought. But don't worry, they're all yours." Hinata blushed as Kakashi winked at the two of them. "I'll see you two around." He casually strode towards the exit of the restaurant, bidding a quick goodbye with a wave. Sakura and Hinata watched with turned heads as Kakashi left, then turned their heads back to the table.

"Sorry Hinata-chan," Naruto said, flashing a charming grin at her, causing her to flush naturally. "Let's go take this somewhere private, shall we?"

Hinata's cheeks flushed darker at Naruto's proposal, feeling Sakura's elbow nudging her to agree. "O-Okay then," Hinata fidgeted slightly, following Naruto as he got up, holding out his hand for Hinata to grab. She hesitantly did, and he pulled her towards him, keeping her next to him as he casually put his arm around her shoulders. Hinata fumbled with her fingers, praying that Naruto couldn't hear the pounding thump of her heart in her chest. The said man turned around once, looking back at Sasuke with knowing eyes.

"How cute…" Sakura said softly before turning around in her seat as looking at Sasuke. "What really _did_ take you so long?" She interrogated, legs crossed as she waited for his answer. Her emerald eyes watched him carefully as he got up from his seat across from her, walking towards her side of the table, and grabbing her arm, hoisting her arm.

She opened her mouth to complain but he cut her off with a quick and firm kiss against her lips, locking an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "Looks like someone missed me," he said, giving her an attractive smirk when he pulled away. Sakura looked shocked from his sudden action, quickly covering it with a scowl. She flushed when she noticed some of the gazes from the other customers in the restaurant.

"_Sasuke!_ Not in _public_," Sakura hissed quietly, her hand against his chest as she pushed him away. Sasuke merely made a _tsk _sound with a click of his tongue, his hand moving from her waist down to her ass, giving it a tight squeeze. She squeaked—loud enough to attract attention—from the action, slapping his hand away as she noticed even more people sitting at the restaurant turning to observe their little 'moment.' She also noticed that she felt something taken from her back pocket, but ignored the feeling. Some even turned and whispered to each other, making Sakura inwardly groan at the thought of wondering what they were saying.

Sasuke chuckled lightly when she slapped his hand away, slacking it around her shoulders as he lead her out of the gossiping restaurant (to Sakura's relief.) Once they were out, Sakura wriggled out of his grasp, arms crossed around her chest as she frowned at him, her face reddened with embarrassment and anger.

"You're so sexy when you're angry," Sasuke commented casually as though he were talking about the weather. He stood leaning on his right leg, giving the pink-haired woman a lazy but dashing smirk, a look only he could pull off, and a look that would send girls throwing themselves at him.

Sakura scoffed, rolling her jade green orbs. "You're so full of yourself."

He moved forward towards her, so close that their faces proximity was mere centimeters apart. "But that's what you love about me," he said, hot breath fanning against her face.

"Oh, _really_?" She said, delicate fingers playing with the collar of his shirt, dark thick lashes blinking innocently over large apple green eyes. She closed the close proximity between them, placing her lips against his giving him a sweet kiss that would leave him wanting more. Sasuke smirked against her lips, responding instantly. Sakura pushed him back until his back was a few feet from a concrete wall. She pulled back right away, pushing back as the sudden action made him stumble backwards.

His back collided with the hard concrete wall roughly; feeling a large bruise forming as surging pain ran throughout his body. He winced, hand pressing against the wall to keep his balance. Sakura's face was exulting, ignoring the tingling guilt she felt for getting him hurt.

"You think I'm just going to become your sex toy from a few charming words?" Sakura asked, watching him stand up straight, looking her straight in the eye. "In that case, Sasuke_-kun_, you have a lot to learn about me."

She turned around, starting to head towards her car (since Sasuke and Naruto were only visitors, they hadn't bothered to rent themselves a car, causing Sakura to bring her own.) A crooked smile fixed itself upon Sasuke's face, watching her retreating back. "She's not like the other targets," he muttered under his breath.

Sakura flinched when she heard the statement. _Targets? _she wondered. "What did you say?" Sakura asked, turning her head around to look at the Uchiha. Sasuke rose an eyebrow, pretending that he didn't know what she was talking about. "I'm not like other _targets_? What's that supposed to mean?"

Sasuke shrugged, his face nonchalant. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Suspicions rose in Sakura's head, her face clearly showing it. The fact that he was ignoring her question made her even more suspicious of the _real _reason him and Naruto "just-so-happened" to be here in Konoha.

"You know, _Sa-ku-ra_, you're probably the only girl who has ever walked away from me before," Sasuke declared casually, his crooked smirk slowly making it's way back on his pale face as he walked up to her, latching an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. Sakura scoffed, rolling her eyes as he pushed him aside, heading towards her car.

"And where do you think you're going?" He asked, easily keeping up with her with his long strides.

"Away from you," Sakura responded immediately. Sasuke chuckled, amused. When she reached the driver's side, he pushed her against it, her back pressed against the door with Sasuke in front of her. Pushing him arm's length distance from her, she searched around her keys, emerald eyes widening when she heard the jingle of the object she was currently searching for. She looked up, seeing the raven-haired man holding her keys up, jingling them a few feet from her face. When she tried to snatch it he simply put it away, grabbing her wrist in the process. "How—When did you—?" Sakura stumbled, shaking her head a little bit. "You took my _keys_?"

"Well I think that's been established," he answered, teasingly jingling the keys in front of Sakura's face again. "Looks like you're going wherever I'm going."

"I can always walk."

Sasuke shook his head, giving mock disappointment. "I don't think you'd want to do that. It's a long walk from here back to where you live." Sakura inwardly sighed, knowing that she was still feeling exhausted having gone to bed very late and woken up so early in the morning. She crossed her arms over her chest, an angry pout fixed on her lips.

Sasuke grinned, throwing the keys in the air and swiping them with his hands. "So, _Sakura_," he rolled her name smoothly off his tongue. "Where do you want to go first?"

-  
-  
-

"N-Naruto-kun, where are you taking me?" Hinata asked. She had a red blindfold over her pearl-white eyes as Naruto held on to Hinata's shoulders from behind, leading her where he wanted her to go.

"Just a little bit farther Hinata-chan!" Naruto reassured her, a foxy grin on his whiskery face. After a few more steps, he let go of her shoulders, grinning widely. "Alright, you can take off the blindfold now!" Hinata reached up, untying the red blindfold from behind her head. She gasped at what she saw.

She was on top of a hill, a hill tall enough to view some of the valleys and plains throughout the Fire Country. In the background the forms of mountains stood tall and steep, the sun's morning rays reflecting beautifully over the land. Her right hand was against the bark of an oak tree that stood on the hill, her body slightly leaning against it. A small graceful smile fell over Hinata's lips, "Naruto-kun, it's beautiful…"

"See? I told you all that walking wouldn't go to waste!" He laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his sun-kissed blond hair as he plopped down on the soft verdant grass. He patted the spot next to him, Hinata turning around, her smile growing more as she sat next to him.

"Wh-why you'd take me here, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked in a soft voice, her face blushing hotly as she pressed her fingers against one another.

"Just something I noticed on the way here," the blond-haired man said. He leaned back, his head lying on the ground as he folded his arms behind his head, deep cerulean blue eyes gazing at the sky. "I don't know, I guess it's just a good place to get away from everything else." He paused for a moment, and then chortled loudly. "That probably sounds silly, huh?"

Hinata shook her head timidly. "N-no, I think it sounds n-nice."

"Hinata-chan, lay down! The sky looks really cool if look at it lying down!" Hinata giggled quietly to herself at his childish manner, shaking her head side to side. Naruto frowned, sitting up, "Come on, it looks cool!" He put his right arm around her shoulder, pulling her down.

Hinata's face resembled that of a tomato when she realized that her head was on his chest as they both lied on the ground, her body next to his. She felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest, flushing even more at the thought of him feeling it. Her face slowly moved upwards, peeking up at his face, only to see that he was just looking at the sky, obviously not caring the position they were in. Hinata mentally sighed, feeling very comfortable in Naruto's arms. Her closed her eyes, enjoying the serene moment.

"Ne, Hinata-chan," Naruto started. "Aren't you tired? I mean, that hangover you had probably has you knocked out—" He stopped when he heard soft snoring, looking down and seeing Hinata fast asleep as she lay against him. Naruto blinked a few times at the sight, noting how peaceful she looked when she slept.

Naruto frowned, looking back up at the sky, remembering the main reason him and Sasuke were there in the first place. Assassination. He shouldn't be feeling the way he does, feeling guilty about betraying her trust and killing this sweet innocent girl currently resting against him. It's not as though it's the first time he's killed someone. He chuckled bitterly to himself. _She doesn't deserve to be killed, but I have no choice. _

He reached in the jacket he was wearing, feeling the inside pocket for the pistol he always carried with him. He held the gun against her head softly so it wouldn't disturb her. His hand shook with hesitation as Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat.

Naruto sighed quietly, turning his head away as he pulled the trigger.

**A/N:**** Dunn Dunn Dunn… **

**Wow, it's been forever since I've updated, huh? Sorry you guys. It's just that school's back, and it's time for teachers to give tons and tons of homework! I'm so sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but hopefully I'll find time to update! So, read and review please!**


	9. Realizations

**A/N:**** Wow, it's been so long since I've updated! I'm so so so sorry about that everyone! I hope this chapter makes up for it. dodges tomatoes  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Gosh.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku NaruHina

**Chapter 9 – Realizations**

The noise of the gunshot echoed throughout the hills…

Or so Naruto had thought. He had felt the gun vibrate, but no bullet come out. "Damn it," Naruto muttered. "Forgot to reload." He had taken the ammunition out, so in case Hinata did happen to find it (which he hid cleverly so there was no way she could, but just in case) she wouldn't have a reason to stay away from him with an empty-loaded gun.

After all, he hadn't expected that the day she fell asleep on him—_completely _vulnerable, especially since they were in the middle of nowhere—he would have to refuel his gun to use to kill. But then again, there are times when assassins do become lazy when it comes to reloading.

He felt Hinata stir on him, having not realized she had opened her pearl white eyes and only assuming that she had just squirmed to get into a better position. He was a second too late in putting away the gun—she had already caught glimpse of the device. "That gun!" She said in a loud voice, not like her usual quiet tone. Her groggy eyes immediately opened, sitting up as Naruto sat up as well.

"Gun? What gun?" Naruto asked, feigning the confusion etched on his face.

Hinata frowned, not bothering to stutter even though her voice had gotten noticeable quieter. "Naruto-kun, please stop lying to me. Why are you carrying guns around with you?"

Naruto sighed, "I honestly don't have any idea what you're talking about, Hinata-chan."

The answer caused Hinata to frown deeper, hesitantly reaching forward, opening the jacket Naruto had on and reached inside. The blonde assassin sat perfectly still while Hinata probed around for the weapon. She sighed, blushing at the thought of possibly falsely accusing him. "I _k-know_… what I saw," she mumbled to herself.

"Maybe your mind is just playing tricks on you," Naruto offered. "You know, since you just woke up and everything." Hinata blushed darker, realizing that she had fallen asleep on top of him.

"I-I don't know…" She lowered her lashes, fiddling with her pointer fingers. "I _know_ what I glimpsed. A-At the alley… I remember…" _And now here…? _continued the girl mentally.

Naruto mentally sighed in relief. _Man, it's a good thing I hid it back here, _he thought to himself, positioning his arms behind his back as he leaned against his palms. He could feel the imprint of his gun on his lower back.

"Alright, fine, you caught me," Naruto said, holding his hands up as if he were surrending. "I thought I saw a snake and so I shot at it, but it turned out to be nothing. That's probably what woke you up, and that's probably why you saw my gun."

"Why do you have a gun in a place like Konoha?" Hinata inquired, her voice as soft as a whisper.

"For safety reasons, Hinata-chan. You just don't know what's out there in the streets nowadays, and you have to have protection!" He gave her a grin following his lie, pleased he came up with convincible answers.

Hinata sighed inaudibly. She knew what he said made sense, perfect sense. But to her, his reason was _too _sensible. She still had a gut feeling that he was hiding something from her.

A moment of silence took place until the blonde assassin remembered he had a mission to complete. _I could just knock her out again, and keep her unconscious until I'm able to go back to the hotel and refuel my gun_, thought Naruto. Then he remembered the strength the Hyuuga girl had shown when they were at the alley. _I'll just have to wait until she's put her guard down again. In the meantime, I could find out more about her. Especially why she deserves to be killed. _

"So, tell me again how you know Kakashi-sensei again," Naruto started, deciding to end the silence and bring up a new topic.

Hinata blinked her pearl eyes at the sudden change of subject. "Well… we kn-knew him from Anko-sensei. Sakura-chan said that."

"And what was Anko teaching you guys?" he continued to probe.

"She just t-taught… school things…"

Naruto rose an eyebrow, noting how Hinata had instantly gone hesitant when answering his question. Just as he opened his mouth, his stomach grumbled. Hinata made a small, "Eep!" sound, her hand flying in front of her mouth at the growl.

Naruto laughed sheepishly, scratching his bright blonde hair. He stood up, brushing himself lightly before offering a hand to Hinata, stifling his laughter. "Sorry about that, Hina-chan," he told her. "Let's get out of here, ne? I heard here in Konoha there's this great ramen place called _Ichiraku_…"

-

-

-

Sakura wasn't sure how it had happened, or where it had started.

All she knew was she was in the backseat of her car, heatedly kissing Sasuke as he pushed her farther into the backseat of the vehicle—_her_ car, too—with his body pressed tightly and hotly against hers. His tongue swerved inside her mouth as one of his hands trailed down the side of her body, teasing it as it roamed up and down. His other hand was on Sakura's ass, squeezing and kneading the flesh as he hoisted her higher, pushing her down harder.

Sakura couldn't help the moan that escaped from her lips. After all, he was pretty talented with his mouth and hands. That much she could remember from the drunken sex they had had a couple days earlier.

The rosette-haired woman had on a slightly low cut crimson red halter-top, matching her shade of lipstick and bra color, along with a pair of jean shorts. Sasuke moved from her mouth to her neck, trailing kisses from her jaw to her collarbone before sucking at the area where her neck and shoulder meet.

He pulled back; satisfied with the hickey he had left her. Locking his dark onyx orbs with dark jade green ones, the Uchiha smirked. "Why aren't you responding, Sakura? You're body may be sexy as hell"—as that he roamed one of his hands down her legs and up again, causing the girl to shiver—"but it's no fun without a response."

Sakura scoffed at his statement. "What do you want me to do, scream '_Oooohh, _Sasuke-kun!' at the top of my lungs?"

Sasuke grinned, swooping down and capturing her lips once more. His hand squeezed her ass and he felt her jump, causing him to smirk in the kiss. Then his other free hand moved from her leg and crawled up her shirt. Sasuke pulled back, moving his hand upwards and giving her breast a quick but firm squeeze. Sakura squeaked at his action, causing the man on top of her to chuckle.

Sakura's cheeks flushed, hating that her body was enjoying everything Sasuke was doing to her. She shook her head, pulling his hand out of her halter-top. "I don't even remember how we started this, but I sure as hell don't want to continue it." She pressed her hands on his chest, pushing him back in an effort to get him off of her but her effort was in vain.

"Just admit that you _love _this, _Sa-Ku-Ra_," he whispered in a low, husky voice, his hot breath fanning the shell of her ear. "You're just afraid to give in to what your body desires." He kissed her neck as he wrapped both his arms around her torso, pulling her against him. Sakura made a small whining noise. Never, in a million years, would Sakura ever tell Sasuke that he was right.

"Oh no, we are not doing this Sasuke," Sakura told him, pushing him back once again. He still didn't budge.

But the minute that Sasuke moved his hand in between her inner thighs, Sakura felt that she'd had enough pleasure. "Get-Off-Me!" she pushed with each word, and on the final word she used all her strength and hoisted him off of her. She moved to the car door and tried to unlock the door, but to no avail. _Where are my… _she began to think.

"Keys?" Sasuke finished her thought for her, holding up her car keys with a wide smirk on his handsome pale features.

Sakura scowled, forgetting that he had taken her keys and locked the doors. "Give them to me," she ordered him, handing out her hand.

Sasuke threw them in the air and caught them with a swipe of his hands. "Not until you give me what you know you want as well."

The pink-haired woman rolled her apple green orbs. "Not on your life," she snapped. Sasuke shrugged, taunting her by jingling her keys in front of her face. Sakura tried to grab it but he pulled it back from her. She reached over as Sasuke pulled it farther back, and eventually fell over from having bent too far, causing her to fall right on top of the grinning Uchiha.

"Well, well, and here I thought you wanted me to stop pleasuring you? You're a tricky one, Sakura. Just the way I like it." He leered at her, his onyx orbs dancing with amusement at her expression of disgust and annoyance. He put on arm around her waist. Sakura pushed off his arm and sat up.

"I'll unlock the doors of the car under one condition," the Uchiha told her. "My place. Now." Sakura scoffed, arms folding in front of her chest as she rolled her eyes. Sasuke sat up as well, giving her neck a quick nip before adding, "And you _will _respond." Sakura pushed out her lower lip in a pout. Sasuke chuckled at her expression. "You can't always play hard to get, my little cherry blossom."

Sakura blinked her eyes, and reluctantly through gritted teeth, she said, "Fine."

-

-

-

"Wow, this place is AMAZING!" yelled an enthusiastic Naruto. Hinata couldn't help but giggle as yet another ramen broth (his 6th bowl, Hinata had counted) was placed in front of the eager blond. His whiskery face held a wide pleased smile as he dove in immediately, causing a little mess.

Naruto sat up straight, wiping his mouth with his arm's sleeve. He looked at Hinata, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "Thanks for buying the food, Hinata-chan!" said he.

Hinata blushed at the contact, and smiled. "Oh, n-no problem Naruto-kun."

When Naruto pulled back, Hinata noticed he still had some food at the corner of his mouth. Her face grew even hotter as she hesitantly took a napkin and reached for Naruto's face that looked back at her curiously, watching her wipe away the piece of noodle that was on his face. He laughed off his embarrassment, bending his arm back as he scratched his sun-kissed blond hair, a goofy grin set in place on his tanned face. "Thanks for that, Hina-chan."

"Mhmm," Hinata whispered back, nodding her head as she closed her eyes and gave him a gentle smile. Naruto stared at her for a moment, having had stopped in the middle of his eating causing some noodles to hang from out of his mouth. When Hinata opened her eyes again and noticed Naruto staring at her intently, her face felt like it was on fire. "I-Is something wrong?" she asked quietly, fiddling with her fingers.

Naruto blinked his cerulean orbs a couple times, swallowing his noodles as he shook his head at her question. "It's nothing, I just like your smile." He beamed at her before digging back into his meal.

"O-Oh," Hinata said back. She turned her head, using her left hand to cup her face as she felt the heat from her cheeks on her fingers and palm.

_No one's ever told me that before…_

-

-

-

Sasuke's hotel room door slammed open as he held Sakura to him, her legs wrapped around his lean waist as their mouths were locked together. They kept the same position until they reached the bed where Sasuke plopped her down on the soft mattress, taking off his shirt in the process before crawling on top of her and capturing her lips once again.

He nibbled on her lower bottom lip before her mouth allowed him entrance as he pushed his tongue inside. Both their tongues mingled quickly and roughly. Sakura rolled him over so she became the one on top of him before she pulled back. She got up, straddling him as Sasuke held his hands on her waist. He rose an eyebrow at her, an expression that clearly said, 'Why'd you stop?'

"We're not doing this without at least one sip of Tequila," Sakura told him, hands flat on his chest.

Sasuke looked thoughtful for a moment, moving Sakura aside as he sat up. He leaned over, giving her a fast yet firm kiss on her mouth before pulling back, whispering to her lips, "Fine."

He left the room as Sakura sat cross-legged on the bed, twirling a strand of her unique rosette colored hair in the meantime.

Sasuke craned his neck behind him before he went into the kitchen. He got out two glasses, getting some already purchased Tequila from out of the fridge and filling up the two glasses. Making sure Sakura wasn't looking; he quickly went over to his suitcase, taking out a small powder case. He added the powdered substance into Sakura's drink, mixing it well so it mixed with the alcohol beverage.

He picked up the two glasses, already knowing which one he was going to give to the pink-haired girl. When he reached the bed, he handed Sakura the correct glass with the powder in it. His onyx orbs watched her every little move as she slowly raised the glass to her lips, taking a long sip as she downed the whole thing in one swallow. Sasuke followed suit, downing his glass as well.

The powder was specifically made so that the person who would drink it would slowly slip into unconsciousness in a matter of minutes. As an assassin, Sasuke knew fairly well that he could have just poisoned Sakura, but to the trained professional that was so "old fashioned."

After Sakura drank the drink, the raven-haired man took the glass from her and placed it on a nearby dresser. Sakura looked at the assassin as she felt her eyes slowly drooping to a close until they did, and she fell on the bed unconscious. Sasuke smirked seeing that his plan had succeeded.

He got up, finding some rope and a simple handheld gun to get his job done with. His plan was once he shot her, he was going to use the rope to hang her to make it look like she had committed suicide. He took Sakura to his bathtub, lying her in it so after he shot her, he could simply wash out the blood with the bathwater.

He held the gun up in a professional manner, having already taken aim on where he was going to shoot. His thumb was already on the trigger. A few moments of silence had passed, and still, nothing.

"Kuso," Sasuke cursed, muttering underneath his breath.

_Why aren't I killing her already? _What was it about her that made her different from the rest? Sure, he had had plenty of other targets that were just as sexy as her, and after he would have a one-night stand with them it would be easy to kill them the following morning. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

The Uchiha frowned, taking out the ammunition from the gun and letting it fall into his hand. He pocketed the bullets in his back pocket as he threw away the cheap handheld gun in the trash, using a newspaper to go on top of it.

_Why can't I kill her?_ He thought at the back of his mind. He walked back to the room, looking at Sakura's serene face as she slept on the bed, her chest heaving up and down slowly as she breathed. Her wavy pink pastel locks surrounded and framed her face, as her rosy lips were slightly parted and slightly sore from Sasuke's hard kisses.

He looked at her without lust in his eye, but something else. Something he couldn't describe but it was something he was foreign to feeling.

_Damn it,_ he said mentally. _Why can't I kill her? _He asked himself again for the millionth time.

This time, a small voice in the back of his head answered him.

_Because you love her._

-  
_An hour later…_  
-

Sasuke glanced at Sakura when he noticed her stirring. Slowly her brilliant emerald eyes opened as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She blinked them rapidly in an attempt to get her awake.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Sasuke said to her. He sat at the edge of the bed, still shirtless but with long black pants on.

Sakura's eyes opened wide in realization of her greeter. "Sasuke! Did-did we…?"

Sasuke chuckled, knowing what she meant. "Unfortunately for you, we didn't. You fell asleep."

"Oh," Sakura stated, before she looked around. "Are we still alone?" Sasuke nodded at her question. Sakura gave a seductive smile at his answer, causing the raven-haired man to give her a questioning look. She crawled over to him, bringing her nose to his. "Then… why don't we continue where we left off?"

Sasuke grinned as Sakura lowered her thick lashes before rising them up again. Putting one hand at the back of her head, Sasuke pushed her head to him as he kissed her. Sakura put her arms on his shoulders, pushing him back on the bed so she was on top of him. One of her hands pulled at his raven hair as the other fell to his neck, stroking it gently as they kissed.

Sasuke, pleased with her movement, moved one arm and locked it tightly around her waist as his other arm moved to her firm ass, squeezing her left butt cheek. However, Sasuke's amused expression soon came to a frown when he felt an unfamiliar object beneath the padding of her shorts. It felt… sharp. Then he locked eyes with the woman lying on top of him, who had pulled back a short moment ago, only to see a sly smile spreading across her face. _This… this feels like a—_

"A hidden weapon," Sakura finished for him. Then she used her hand that was stroking his neck softly and pressed against his pressure point, causing him to fall unconscious before he had time to react.

-

-

-

Hinata felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. Looking at the caller ID, it read Sakura. "Sakura-chan?" Getting off the stool at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, she took a few steps away and answered the call. Naruto was too distracted with his meal to notice. "Hel-Hello?" came her meek voice.

"Hinata, I did it." Hinata didn't reply, and Sakura could sense her confusion. "I knocked him out. He hasn't stirred for 10 minutes, and he probably won't for an hour or two. Where's the other one?"

Hinata's pearl white eyes widened in realization. "You knocked him out… s-so soon? Why?"

"Tsunade-shishou called me yesterday. She said that she wants the job done and doesn't want us wasting another second. Besides, we don't usually take this long Hinata-chan."

"B-but…" Hinata looked back at Naruto. "I don't…" she whispered absent-mindedly, forgetting that Sakura could hear her.

"Hinata… you haven't _fallen _for him, have you?" Hinata stuttered as an incoherent response came out. "Hinata, you know as assassins that we, under _no_ circumstance, can fall for the targets that we have to kill!"

"I-I know, but… this one… he's different—"

"That's no excuse!" Hinata could hear Sakura sigh over the phone. "If you won't the job done, then I will."

"Sakura-chan, wait—!"

But the line had gone dead.

* * *

**A/N:**** Wow, it's been a while since I've updated this little guy huh? Since September… counts months that's like 7 months! Wow, sorry about that guys. I hope this is a good enough chapter for that long of a wait! It's now 1:07 A.M. and I'm starting to get my writing mojo back (funny how I get it back at night though and end up staying till like 2 a.m. before I actually am tired enough to go to sleep.)**

**Well, I put in lots of SasuSaku action and a cute little NaruHina. And now you all know the truth behind Sakura and Hinata… or DO you? You'll just have to wait and see what's in store for next time. grins Hope you liked it, please Read and Review!**


	10. Attempts

**A/N:** I had more of this chapter but my computer crashed a couple weeks ago so I had to try and remember. Maybe that's one reason why this wasn't out as fast as it was supposed to be. Most of my files crashed, even the ones with this really good story idea I had… hah, sucks :P

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku NaruHina

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Attempts**

Sakura examined the unconscious raven-haired man before her. She held the phone that had called Hinata in one hand, glancing at the cellular device every now and then. She flinched when she heard Sasuke groan, but later realized it was a figment of her imagination. He was still fully unconscious, and with her skills she knew he wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

She paused for a moment, contemplating again how she could dispose of him. _Well, I could kill him easily, take his body and dump it in the ocean wearing gloves so my prints won't be traced, and then shred the gloves along with other paper to disguise the rubber. _Her lips quirked, _That could work…_

She sighed quietly to herself. "It sure would be easier with Hinata here…" she mumbled to no one in particular.

Her mind drifted elsewhere as she thought of how Hinata and her first met. She had known the Hyuuga since elementary school but was never one that associated with her. It wasn't until fate occurred that they both had received a letter requesting them in Tsunade's office many years later.

-

-

-

_Sakura and Hinata were freshman in college, and therefore were still new around campus. The two had been told to meet in Tsunade's office, and had met up along the way. Sakura was determined to find Tsunade's office with her smarts instead of asking for directions (as Hinata had suggested) and the Hyuuga heiress merely followed behind._

"_This must be it," Sakura stated, grabbing the handle of the door. She twisted it, pushing against it to open it. The pink-haired girl peaked her head inside, emerald eyes scanning the area. "Tsunade-sama…?" questioned the girl as she looked for the blonde woman._

"_Is she in there?" came the timid voice of Hinata, popping her head inside the room as well._

_The room was compact but there was still enough space for some people to move around. There were cabinets aligned on the walls with writings upon them. However it was dark and therefore the pair of girls could not read what the writings said._

_Sakura stepped inside, letting curiosity get the better of her. She walked towards one of the cabinets, tugging on the handle to pull it open. However, it would not open, and the pastel pink haired girl grew frustrated and tugged the box open with her strange inhumane strength. "Oops," said she, blinking innocently. _

"_Sakura-san, I-I don't think we should be in here," Hinata spoke to her, fingers pressed together as she glanced around, making sure no one was around to see them. _

"_Don't worry, Hinata," Sakura told her, giving her a smile. "Besides, I'm not making you stay, you know." Hinata blinked her pearl eyes, realizing she had made a point. Nonetheless the Hyuuga did not move to take her leave. Instead, curious as well, she walked beside Sakura, watching her take out a file and peer inside the contents of it. Closing the file, Sakura glanced at Hinata. "Come on, let's go read this somewhere else, it's too dark to see." _

_Little did they know the recording security camera that had been tracing their every movement._

_The two had left, going back to Sakura's door as she held the file discreetly. Once the door was closed, in the safe privacy of her room, Sakura sat upon her bed as Hinata followed close behind her. _

"_Now, let's see…" she mumbled to herself. Quickly she glanced over the document, Hinata reading over her shoulder. _

"_Akatsuki? What's that?" Hinata asked. Sakura shrugged._

"_It says here Anko—" Sakura paused, putting her glance upon at the midnight-haired girl. "Wait, isn't that our teacher?" Hinata nodded, and Sakura held the silence for a few more moments before continuing. "It says Anko-sensei used to be a part of Akatsuki, under some guy named Orochimaru." _

_Hinata gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her pearl eyes widened. _

_Sakura looked at her, slightly surprised. "What's wrong?" she asked hurriedly. _

_Hinata pointed at a sentence. Sakura read it, her own jade green eyes widening themselves. _

"_Akatsuki is a _murder _organization?!" Sakura screeched, but only loud enough for the two to hear. _

"_Th-that means… Anko-sensei is a m-murderer, doesn't it?" The petite Hyuuga's form began to tremble. _

"_But it says that she was removed," Sakura said, reading on. "And that they somehow made it so she can't recall the organization. Oh, they used a special machine."_

"_Look, this part is in new ink," Hinata pointed with her pale finger at a section at the bottom of the papers. "It says she g-gained her memories back, enough to detail Tsunade-sama about the A-Akatsuki."_

"_This is a note from Tsunade-sama," Sakura spoke. "It says that Akatsuki had assumed they had cleared Anko's memory without a mistake, but they didn't realize that Anko-sensei still had some files with paperwork that not even Anko-sensei herself was aware of—"_

_Just then a knock on the door was heard. Both girls glanced as Sakura got up to answer it. Pulling the door open, she was greeted with Shizune, Tsunade's assistant. _

"_You two are requested at Tsunade-sama's office," she told them. _

Me too? _Hinata thought to herself as they both shuffled out of the room._

-

-

-

Sakura laughed at the memory, remembering how Tsunade had scolded them for peering into documents that they were not supposed to. Then she asked what they knew, and both girls answered truthfully and told what they knew.

"_You two know too much," _Tsunade had said. _"I suppose I have no choice but for you two to train under Anko, and she will teach you everything she remembers about the art of stealthy killing—or, in other words, assassination." _

"Assassination_?" questioned Sakura at the time, eyebrows furrowing. "You want us to kill innocent people?" _

"_No, not innocent. Criminals that keep escaping our reach. The more we kill, the less crime will occur in the world. The more criminals you come across, it's possible the closer chances you might come across Akatsuki, and those are whom we intend to destroy. They are the ones that kill innocent people, and they have broken the law of mass murder." Her hands folded together, fingers lacing to one another. "Think of it this way. Kill one—save a thousand." _

It had taken them almost a year for both Hinata and Sakura to learn the skills of a killer what it would take a normal person years to do. However, with their potential and Anko as their trainer, they were able to become just as good as an executioner with years of experience. At the age of merely eighteen, it was an impressive feat.

Tsunade was their head commissioner. In other words, she was the one that gave out orders of whom to kill next. The blonde woman had seen potential in Sakura, and even offered to train her personally in the medical industry in case the time ever came.

Sakura snapped out of her zoned out phase, remembering that she had a mission to complete. The killer pondered ways to kill her target before her. Her hand subconsciously moved to the hidden weapon attached to her upper leg.

_I could stab him, _she thought. _Then get rid of the body by dumping it in the lake or burning it. _She cringed, _I don't like to get my hands dirty, though. _

_**Ugh, besides, isn't that idea a little sadist? **_Inner Sakura commented, shivering in disgust.

She shrugged, walking over to the cabinet, opening them as she searched through the contents. _I'll just poison him and dump his body in a ravine or something. Some place not much people go to. _

"Ah, here's something," she spoke idly to herself, taking out a can of rat poison. "This hotel must have some rats or something…"

Walking over to where Sasuke's unconscious body lay, Sakura moved him to he was positioned lying on the bed. She lay beside him, putting the can beside his head as she stood up, placing his head in her lap. The woman opened his mouth slightly, enough for decent space to place the poison inside.

_Oh, wait a minute, _she thought, turning around as she saw windows wide open. _Can't risk a witness seeing, I don't want to have to hurt anyone I don't have to. _She got up, taking the blinds of each window and shut them close. Then she came back, resuming her previous position as she glanced down at Sasuke's pale face leaning against her legs.

She couldn't help but notice how serene he looked as he turned his head to the side. That's when she blinked, realizing he had fallen asleep. Her lashes lowered, her hand subconsciously stroking his spiky onyx hair. _He's… really cute… _She shook her head roughly.

_I've got to focus! _She scolded herself. Placing her hand beneath his head, she lifted it up high enough as she used her other free hand to grab the rat poison. She tilted it, seeing the fragments inside beginning to slowly come to the entrance as they got ready to spill out into the awaiting mouth of Sasuke's. She bit her lip in anticipation, seeing the toxic come towards the tip of the canister—

Until the door was pounded on, creating a knocking sound that startled the pink-haired girl so much that the lethal contents jumped out of her hands, landing upon the floor. She quickly moved, grabbing the can and thrusting it in the cabinet she had originally found it in. Then she made her way towards the door, answering it as she fixed herself swiftly.

Opening the door, she came face to face with Kakashi.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura breathed, a smile on your face. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, Sakura?" Kakashi replied, his tone sounding surprised. "I was told this was Sasuke's suite, I didn't expect to find you—" Just then his visible eye crinkled as the outline of a perverted smile appeared on his mask. "Am I interrupting anything?" He eyed the clothing she was wearing.

Sakura blushed, stepping back to let him inside, "You always were a pervert!"

"Ouch, Sakura," said the silver-haired man with a feigned tone of offense as he placed a hand over his heart. "That hurt." He took a look around, "Where's Sasuke, anyway?"

Sakura mentally cursed. "Over here," she answered him, turning around and leading him to the bedroom as a frown crossed her face. "He's sleeping," she answered his unasked question.

Discreetly his charcoal eye glanced over the area. He caught sight of Sasuke's chest moving up and down slowly, and mentally sighed. _Good, he's still alive. _

Kakashi had been keeping a close eye on both Naruto and Sasuke. When he saw the two go their separate ways, Kakashi decided to follow both and spy to make sure they were completing their mission. Seeing Hinata with Naruto caused the ex assassin to know Naruto would be able to handle himself.

Once he saw Sasuke with Sakura going back to his rented suite, the man perched himself on a nearby tree. When he witnessed Sakura closing the blinds where an unconscious Sasuke lay, a sixth sense told him Sasuke was in danger.

_I can't do anything to him now, _Sakura thought, emerald eyes looking over where Kakashi was. _With him here… ugh, should have killed him faster. _Her mouth quirked.

The silver-haired man walked over towards where he noticed the kitchen was, opening some cabinets as he peered inside.

"Ah, here it is," he commented, taking out a clear glass.

"Uh, what are you doing?" questioned Sakura, eyebrow rising at Kakashi's actions.

The said man placed the cup under the sink, turning on the faucet as clean water filled the glass. He twirled the liquid in the chalice as he headed over back to where Sasuke lay.

"I'm waking up sleeping beauty," he answered her nonchalantly with a shrug; his mask creasing and eye crinkling as he smiled. With a flick of his wrist he tipped the glass as the clear fluid came spilling out, landing on the pale face of Sasuke's.

Immediately the Uchiha sat upright, Sharingan flashing as he looked around for his "assaulter." He glared at Kakashi, knowing that by his smug look that he had done it.

"The fuck was that about?" questioned the man, eyes burning into the silver-haired man's. Despite the serious situation earlier, Sakura couldn't help but release a giggle at Sasuke's reaction to Kakashi's little ploy.

"Oi, oi, don't get your panties in a bundle," commented the ex-assassin, causing another laugh from Sakura. Sasuke's glare increased ten-fold at the statement. "Besides, I've come to give you something."

Sasuke quirked a brow as Kakashi tossed a folded piece of paper towards his direction rapidly. In reflex his hand shot up, catching the piece of paper with ease. He opened it, reading the contents inside.

_Don't let your guard down. _

As his onyx eyes glazed over the words, his eyes narrowed. He looked up at Kakashi whose playful face had turned serious as well. The raven-haired assassin nodded in understanding, eyebrows furrowing.

Sakura's eyes narrowed suspiciously, wondering why suddenly it felt tense in the room.

"Well," Kakashi started with a feign yawn as he stretched his arms. "I should be going." He began taking his long strides as he headed towards the door. He grasped the handle, revealing the entrance as he walked on out. Then his head popped inside.

"Play nice, kiddies!" he added, his only visible eye crinkling in merriment. He moved his head when Sasuke threw a pillow towards his direction. His chuckles echoed as he walked down the hallway, leaving.

Once he was gone, Sakura looked back at Sasuke, watching the man bend his arm back as he rubbed his neck. She bit the inside of her mouth, noticing he was rubbing the area where she had struck him earlier causing him to enter his unconscious state.

He groaned quietly, mumbling, "How'd I get here?" He tried to think of what he was doing before he was where he was now.

-

_Sasuke's amused expression soon came to a frown when he felt an unfamiliar object beneath the padding of Sakura's shorts. It felt… sharp. Then he locked eyes with the woman lying on top of him, who had pulled back a short moment ago, only to see a sly smile spreading across her face. This… this feels like a—_

"_A hidden weapon," Sakura finished for him. Then she used her hand that was stroking his neck softly and pressed against his pressure point, causing him to fall unconscious before he had time to react._

-

Realization dawned him as ebony orbs locked with veriscent ones. His eyes narrowed suspiciously to the girl before him, who looked back at him with a risen eyebrow, confused at why he was looking at her so seriously.

"Why'd you knock me out?" he interrogated her. Mentally Sakura scolded herself.

_**Ooh, looks like he remembers what you did to him, **_Inner Sakura's voice rang. She snickered, _**What are you going to do, eh? **_

Sakura feigned an innocent look as her eyes blinked. "What are you talking about?" she replied, head cocking to the side.

_Damn it, I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance! _Sakura mentally cursed again.

The pink-haired woman watched the Uchiha get up from the bed he had been sitting on previously. He sauntered towards her as every step towards Sakura she instinctively took a step back. She felt the corner of the hotel wall imprint against her back and bit the inside of her mouth. Sasuke placed his arms on either side of her, making sure she couldn't escape from his questioning.

Sakura laughed uneasily and shortly, trying to distract him by bringing her hand up and stroking the side of his face leisurely. "Come on, Sasuke-kun, why don't we—"

However her breath hitched in her throat as he swiftly moved his hand down the side of her body down to her shorts. She watched with steady eyes as he lifted up an object he had retrieved from her shorts, revealing her "hidden weapon" as he dangled it in front of her face.

"The hell is this?" he asked her, still dangling the object in front of her face. She turned her face to the side, her mouth shut tightly causing the Uchiha's scowl to deepen. "Sakura—"

Then the pink-haired girl moved stealthily, ducking beneath one of Sasuke's arms and using the speed in her long legs as she dashed for the door. He growled at her actions, immediately sprinting after her.

Pastel pink hair flew behind Sakura as she ran, not bothering to look back because she knew Sasuke would be following her.

_Damn girl, _Sasuke growled as he chased after her. _I shouldn't have to be doing this, and I wouldn't have to be if I had just killed her—! _However his thoughts were cut off when he realized she had run in the middle of the street with cars still driving at high speeds. His teeth grinded against one another as loud horns erupted from the moving vehicles.

"Godamnit, Sakura, move!" he shouted after her.

The said girl stopped her movements, her neck craning as she glanced at him with confusion etched on her face. She had been blocking out everything she had been hearing, only hearing blurs, but the sound of his voice got through to her hearing. Because of his voice, it was then she realized the horns of the cars, and the extremely loud horn of a truck racing towards her as it tried in vain to cease itself.

Her mouth fell open as her jade eyes became wide as saucers. Her expression resembled that of a deer caught in headlights as her body went completely rigid.

"_Dammit_," Sasuke muttered, having not stopped his running even after he yelled after her. He picked up his pace, leaping at her and grabbing her by the waist, pulling her away just a mere second before the car would have struck her.

The two rolled on the ground from the powerful movement as the rolled into a nearby alley. The sound of panting filled the area as the pair sat upright.

"Are you crazy?" Sasuke scolded her, scowling.

_Wait… _he thought to himself. _I could have just let her die. That would have made my job a hell of a lot easier especially because it looks as a mere accident, instead of having to cover up a murder. _His eyebrows creased further.

The same little voice that had answered him previously entered his thoughts once again. _You didn't want her to die. _

Mentally, he scoffed. _That's a lie. _

_But weren't you mad at her a few moments ago? _The voice questioned. He frowned at the response.

At that moment Sasuke realized a small hand clinging tightly to the front of his shirt in a vice grip. He followed the arm connected to the hand, realizing it was Sakura's. He watched her intensely, noting how her body was slightly shaking and she was whimpering almost inaudibly.

_I could… I could have d-died… _she thought to herself, biting her lower lip. Despite that the girl was an assassin as well, she had only merely risked her life each time she did a mission, not stare death in the face so directly and closely.

Subsequently she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name being called. Then she felt a hand under her chin, tilting it upward towards Sasuke's face, making her look into his dark charcoal pupils.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked in his eyes, seeing a hint of concern in them, even if it was barely there. _He's… concerned? _she wondered idly to herself. Her lashes lowered slightly, _But he was angry with me before… _

_**Doesn't this mean this handsome jerk cares for us? **_Her alter ego asked. _**In that case, don't question it, enjoy it!**_ Her thoughts were cut off once again when she heard something.

"What's wrong?" She heard his low, husky voice speak.

However, Sakura didn't respond. Instead she used her free hand (that wasn't clinging to Sasuke's shirt) and grabbed the hand grasping her chin, lowering it down.

Sasuke watched every moment carefully, his thoughts slightly puzzled at her actions. He then felt her slant against him, feeling her head lean against the crook of his neck. He noticed her hand still grasping the front of his shirt and the other still grasping his hand.

"Thank you," she mumbled quietly against him, managing to get over her shock. "For… saving me…" She gave a small smile half-heartedly. "I appreciate it."

A moment of silence followed.

Then Sasuke took his free arm, wounding it around the girl angulated against him tightly, securely. He rested his chin against the top of her head.

A light grunt escaped his throat. "Idiot…" he murmured, feeling Sakura press into him more.

* * *

**A/N:**** Hah, sorry if you think Sasuke's out of character in the end. I tried to keep him in character, but eh, he was kind of OOC in some parts of my story anyway. **

**If you want something to blame, blame the manga Inuyasha, which I have been reading a lot recently. It was my very first anime that I watched, and now reading the manga (which has ended, officially! It was such a good story) I realize that Inuyasha and Kagome are a lot more romantic in the manga than in the anime! So I've been reading the very cute little moments between the two, and there's a lot to go around, which is how I got the idea for the ending. **

**I'm even taking some screenshots from some cute moments I find and having my sister make a collage out of it with her PhotoShop. I'll probably post the link on my profile when it's finished. :P**

**Hahah, sorry, enough of my babble. I know that Naruto and Hinata weren't in this chapter, but trust me, they'll be in the next chapter for sure. **

**Guys, really, read and review, is it so hard? You just press a button, even write one word for all I care, and press another button. It's not like you're wasting yoru life or something. And it makes the writer very happy, trust me. I think I have 222 story alerts on this, so come on, how come out of 222 people I only get like 30 reviews? I think that's like a rip-off. **

**Hey, if you give me lots of reviews, I promise to update SO quick you'd be writing your review and the new update would be there. So, you better get reviewing!**


	11. Regrets

**A/N:**** Sometimes when I imagine Konoha I imagine it with lots of alleys. So that's just a hint for the reason you may think I put lots of alleys.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku NaruHina

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Regrets**

Sliding back on to her stool beside Naruto in Ichiraku, Hinata took a sigh.

"_If you won't the job done, then I will." _

Sakura's words from their earlier phone call rang loudly in the Hyuuga's mind, playing over and over like a broken record.

She lowered her lashes, quickly sneaking a peek at Naruto. He had begun making conversation with Ayame and her father, asking what "the secret ingredient" was.

"It's _sooo_ good!" Naruto exclaimed. "Out of everywhere I've been, I've never eaten anything like this! What do you call this food?" He peered down at his bowl as though it were a foreign object.

Teuchi, Ichiraku's owner, laughed. "That's ramen broth you have there."

"Best of the Fire Country!" Ayame added with a wide, warm smile.

Hinata, seeing the blonde's distraction with his food, quickly slipped off her stool again. Taking out her phone, she glanced around, finding a nearby alley as the sun shone, causing half of the alleyway to be concealed in shadows.

Her fingers pressed against the number keys, holding her phone up to her ear as the hum of the dial tone entered her eardrum. Almost instantly after the first ring the phone call was picked up.

"What's the password?" a curt voice asked.

The midnight-haired paused for a moment, registering the password in her mind. Then she murmured, "Hidden Leaves."

The call got cut off for a moment, the sound of dialing numbers filling the silent void as the phone call became redirected. This time, a different tone of voice answered.

"You know you aren't supposed to call this number unless it's an emergency," the voice spoke calmly.

"I'm sorry, I know better… Tsunade-sama."

Said woman leaned forward against her burgundy chair, arms propped on her mahogany desk with her fingers laced together. Upon hearing Hinata's voice (able to instantly tell from her quiet, soft voice) from the speaker of her phone set, the blonde woman could hear something amiss in the Hyuuga's tone.

"Something bothering you, Hinata?"

The said girl bit her lower lip. "Y-Yes… about the mission, Tsunade-sama…"

"Is there a problem?"

"…I… with me, yes." Her eyes shifted around, wondering how to say what was on her mind. "I…" her tone got unbelievably hush as she licked her dry lips, "I don't think I can… carry out the mission."

Despite Hinata's almost inaudible voice, Tsunade had heard her just fine. And she wasn't too happy of the news she had just been told.

"Is that so?"

Her tone was eerily calm, quite opposite of Hinata's fear of her exploding in anger from her statement.

"…Yes…"

She heard a sound, something sounding similar to that of a fist coming down on a desk hard. And knowing Tsuande's strength, the Hyuuga wouldn't be surprised if the desk had broken. Her heartbeat increased slightly in anxiety of what her boss's reaction to be. Hearing a sigh on the other line, she could tell Tsunade had calmed down slightly.

"Hinata, why is it you cannot carry out what you were told?"

"I, err—well…" said girl stammered over her words, not knowing how to explain, and therefore decided to not give a reply.

The blonde woman, upon hearing this, frowned. "Have you taken too much of a liking to your target?" The sound of filing through papers was heard. "Is it Naruto you've taken an interest in? The other one doesn't look like the very talkative type, and knowing you, it most likely is Naruto."

A blush spread across pale face of Hinata. She stumbled in her use of terms, causing her response to be an incomprehensible one (mostly from her stuttering.)

"Hinata," the way Tsunade said her voice was stern, firm. "Remember the person you are assigned to 'rid' from the world is a mass murderer. According to his profile, Uzumaki Naruto is a flirtatious character, meaning he'll say anything that he knows will get you to like him."

She paused for a moment, and noting that Hinata had spoken nothing in response (nor to his defense) she decided to continue.

"The character he has been showing you that has caused you to grow fond of him is most likely not his real nature, and he probably doesn't see you as caring as you see him." Tsunade pursed her lips from the other line.

"I know it's cruel, but it's the truth. You need to realize that."

-

_A few minutes ago… _

-

Naruto laughed from Teuchi's joke, finishing his latest ramen bowl. Then his sapphire eyes noted the missing presence of Hinata as they glanced around. He rose an eyebrow, mentally cursing for losing his target, but also slightly hurt as he wondered (in the back of his mind) that she left because he bore her.

"Have you guys seen where Hinata-chan went?" he questioned Ayame and her father.

The latter shrugged, but Ayame answered him. "I think I saw her wander off." Seeing Naruto's frown in dissatisfaction, she added, "Don't worry, I'm sure your girlfriend will be back." She added a wink for extra reassurance.

"Oh, yeah," he quickly responded without thinking, only to blush when he heard Ayame use the word "girlfriend." He scratched his head. "Wait, she's not my—"

Teuchi waved his hand up and down in a "pish-posh" manner. "No need to act so modest, young man." He gave a wide, father-like grin. "You two make quite a pair."

Naruto cocked his head to the side, not knowing how to respond. He then mouth with the back of his hand, pushing his bowls of ramen ahead of him. He flashed the father-daughter pair a grin.

"Well, thanks for the meal!" He jumped off his seat, heading another direction. "I'm going to go find—…" His mouth quirked as his grin spread wider across his face.

"…my girlfriend."

He raised his two fingers, giving a salute to the Ichiraku workers as he set off. Quickly his eyes scrutinized the area, azure eyes darting back and forth as he searched for Hinata.

"_I, err—well…"_

His ears perked among hearing the voice, almost instantly recognizing the soft tone as that of Hinata's. He rose an eyebrow, noting how her voice sounded… troubled.

He neared her, and when her body came into view, he quickly slipped into the shadows and leaned against a wall tightly. He narrowed his eyes, seeing her body language was distressed as was her voice.

_Who is she talking to that's making her so upset? _he wondered idly to himself, leaning his head back against the concrete wall to get a better listen.

After hearing moments of silence, he looked over, seeing that she was still on the phone but no saying anything. Then common sense hit him when he comprehended whoever was on the other line was probably talking a lot. He tried to lean closer, to even get a hint of what the other person was saying, but to no avail. He could hear the very faint noise of someone speaking, but he could not make out the words even with his amazing hearing.

"_I know it's cruel, but it's the truth. You need to realize that." _

That was the only sentence he was able to grasp, and he quirked an eyebrow not knowing what the person meant. Hearing Hinata sigh, he clenched his mouth shut, his hearing intent on what she had to say.

"But I don't… I don't want to kill him…"

_The fuck? What the hell's going on? _Naruto thought, his eyes scrutinizing as he tried to figure out what the words meant.

All the word deciphering was giving his head a migraine…

-

-

-

Hinata bit her lower lip. After her last statement, her blonde taskmistress hadn't said anything as of yet, knowing that she was giving the Hyuuga time to think.

Her mind knew what was right, and that was to kill Naruto for the murders he had committed, and that Tsunade's words made sense. However her heart was telling her otherwise, having a hard time taking in her boss's logic.

_It's most likely the truth… _her mind told her heart, and despite its retorts, she pushed it aside.

She had a mission, and she was not one to quit and become a failure. Especially if she wanted to prove herself to her father.

As though having heard her thoughts, Tsunade asked, "Have you come to a decision, Hinata?"

"I have," the said girl nodded, knowing despite the fact that the blonde-haired woman would not be able to see her do so. "I will… carry out the mission." Her voice was velvety soft. "I'm sorry for letting Naruto"—at that the said blond boy rose an eyebrow at his name being mentioned—"get to me. It… it w-won't happen again."

She was still unaware of the lingering shadow of Naruto that hid in the darkness.

"Good," came her superior's response. "Now get to it."

Hinata sighed before slowly closing her phone after hearing the dead dial tone. Her pearl colored gaze lowered to the floor, many thoughts as a result from her claim to her leader colliding in her head.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow move, and instantaneously she moved her head up, startled from not knowing someone was there. She gasped in reflex, only to calm down when she saw that it was only Naruto.

Then her eyes broadened, wondering in fret if the man before her had heard any part of the conversation with her and Tsunade. It was about him, after all. Her heartbeat raced slightly upon his expression of furrowed eyebrows and narrowed cobalt eyes.

Yes, she realized, he did hear her.

"Trying to kill me, eh?"

All the clues had begun to make sense to him. His name, followed a few sentences after she had spoken, _"But I don't… I don't want to kill him…"_ Naruto wasn't as stupid as he seemed.

He took a step closer to her, causing Hinata in response to step backwards. The blond assassin noted how the Hyuuga persisted on not giving him eye contact.

"Well? _Are _you?" he pressed the subject on with heated eyes.

Trying to come up with a response under his hard interrogation, her lavender gaze shifted back and forth in different directions rapidly. It wasn't until they locked with a familiar looking imprint beneath the padding of Naruto's jacket that her expression changed.

She stepped forward, boldly pressing her hand against his chest where she had seen the impression. Her intuition had been right.

Beneath the imprint from his jacket was, indeed, a gun.

Silky blonde bangs covered cobalt eyes as her hand remained pushed against his upper torso, his body flinching in response but other than that remaining perfectly still.

To the naked eye, his gun wouldn't be seen. In fact, it would be most likely overlooked. But, to trained eyes, with the right examination techniques it could be seen. And the fact that she did see it, her hand compressed against it on point exactly, only heightened his suspicions even more.

"It's that gun…" she murmured. The same gun she had questioned him before, but somehow, someway, he'd been able to dismiss the questioning.

Well, the tables had turned. She had him now.

"It's that same gun as before…" Her voice was hauntingly soft, despite the fact that it was lightly heard regularly. Her specific tone that she was using at the moment… was different. And, Naruto noted, unlike her. Or what he had come to learn of her person that made it seem unlikely for her. His thoughts were cut off when he heard her speak once more.

"Why do you always have a gun with you at all times?" She wasn't speaking with her usual gentle tone Naruto was used to hearing out of her. Instead, her voice was slightly louder, clearer, and… stern. He watched her lips move as they added to her previous sentence.

"You're name… Uzumaki Naruto…" Said person quirked an eyebrow, wondering where Hinata was going with her accusing tone. "It's the same as the assassin well-known in the Fire Country." She frowned faintly. "…I don't think that's a coincidence." Her fingers grasped hold off the shadow of the gun as added emphasis.

Naruto lifted his arms in a surrendering motion, waving them left to right in his defense. "Wait a minute, Hinata-chan…" he added the honorific to help lighten her mood. "I'm not an assassin, the two of them just stole my and Sasuke-teme's name!"

However, her mauve mixed with pallid gaze did not waver, and Naruto knew that from her expression that she did not believe him. The blond assassin was surprised with the Hyuuga's sudden change in personality from her shy, quiet traits to a blunt, stubborn character. Mentally he grinned, he liked her defiant attitude.

He shook his head to rid his thoughts for the moment, skeptical eyes moving upwards as he realized that Hinata had turned the tables on him. He chuckled out loud briefly, ignoring the girl's questioning look. No one turns the tables on Uzumaki Naruto.

"Don't try and change the subject," the said blond started, almost grinning when he saw the Hyuuga's expression dither, even if it was for only a fraction of a moment. He grasped her tiny, frail wrist that clung to his jacket, removing it as he waved it across slowly before lowering it, but keeping his hold.

"Why are you trying to kill me, huh?"

The question hung in the air as a silence took place. He observed Hinata carefully, his cerulean gaze lowering as he saw the pale young woman lick her lips. She opened them, and his ears listened intently to hear what she was going to say. After all, it was vital information.

"I—" was all she could say before, to Naruto's aggravation, her cell phone rang.

_(SFX: Ring! Ring! Ring—!)_

Hinata had taken out her phone, but before she could answer it Naruto swiped it from her hold. Her eyebrows furrowed somewhat, displeased with his taking of her item without her permission. However Uzumaki ignored her look, flipping open her phone as he held it against his ear.

"Hinata can't talk now, she's busy—"

"_Naruto_?"

Said boy's eyes enlarged upon hearing Sakura's voice. Hinata, having heard the pink-haired girl as well since Naruto had put the phone call on speaker, mentally sighed heavily in relief.

"She's _busy_, huh? Naruto, you better not have laid a _finger _on her, or so help you _God_—"

"What's he done now?" Naruto heard a low voice grumble in the background. His eyebrow lifted, almost instantaneously recognizing the low pitch as that of Sasuke's.

_Sasuke didn't kill her yet, either… _

"Never mind that," Sakura's voice speaking to Sasuke snapped the blond out of his thoughts. She then turned her voice back to the phone. "Naruto, let me talk with Hinata."

Naruto wrinkled his brows. "She's busy—"

"Naruto…" Sakura began in a warning tone.

Just as the assassin was about to respond, he felt the phone being taken away from him, only to see Hinata holding the phone to her mouth, turning off the speaker so Naruto couldn't hear their conversation.

"Sakura?" she asked into the phone. She laughed lightly, and in spite of the tense situation they had been in earlier, Naruto couldn't help but find himself liking the sound. "Ano, Sakura-chan… you sound like a **fish out of water**."

Meanwhile, the pink-haired girl on the other line pursed her lips. Her jade pupils expanded slightly upon hearing the code words. _Fish out of water, huh? _She repeated the words mentally in her mind. Discreetly glancing over at Sasuke who was busying himself bored-like with the TV (having gone back to his rented hotel room) she leaned closer to the phone, lowering her volume of voice.

"Has he caught you?" Sakura's voice was almost inaudible.

Hinata knew that Naruto was watching every little movement she made, conscious that she was still under his speculation. "That dress… the one that **shows much skin, but doesn't give it all away**?"

_So he's suspicious of her, but he doesn't know everything, _Sakura assessed the cipher's meaning in her head.

"Okay, stay where you are. Where are you?"

"Near Ichiraku," the Hyuuga female murmured in return. "Oh, Sakura, did you…?" She knew she couldn't continue her sentence, especially seeing Naruto's eyes turn into slits as he awaited the end of her statement. She heard her partner sigh into the receiver.

"No, I didn't… I got interrupted." Absent-mindedly, Sakura's emerald gaze glanced over at Sasuke, seeing his onyx eyes dart over to her before looking back at the TV when she diverted her stare away from him. "He's still alive." She then added, "I'm heading over to Ichiraku, so I'll see you in a few."

Hinata gave a hint of a nod, shutting her phone. Without looking at the blond man before her, she turned, starting to head out of the alleyway. She tensed when she felt a grip on her forearm, pausing in her footsteps.

"You're going to have to explain sometime, Hinata," Naruto reminded her slowly, cautiously. Her back was still facing him, her head held high in the air.

"You, too." She whispered the words, but her tone was curt and poignant.

Naruto's grip on her arm fell idly to his side as she continued her steps, fixing his eyes on Hinata as he watched her retreating back.

* * *

**A/N: Well, here was the NaruHina chapter I promised, since the last one was mostly SasuSaku. Things getting tense, eh? **

**It wasn't as long as I wanted the chapter to be, but I couldn't think of what else to add. I'm at a slight writers' block at this point—I do have something planned for the next (or later) chapter(s), but I need to think of how I'm going to get to that point. **

**And so, while I rack my brain, read and review. **


	12. Decisions

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plotline.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku. NaruHina.

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Decisions**

Side by side, Naruto and Hinata walked silently back to the stools of Ichiraku, each taking their own seating a couple chairs away from the other. The march back to the ramen broth restaurant had been in complete and utter silence, neither Naruto nor Hinata willing or bothering to break it.

As Hinata fidgeted against the stool, she pointed her lavender gaze to a corner. Beside her a little distance away, Naruto frowned grumpily as his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his neck craned with his nose high in the air.

Teuchi, Ichiraku's owner, along with Ayame, his daughter, watched the pair with curious eyes, noticing the thick tension in the air between them, and upon this observation, a frown set on their features.

"Naruto, did you and your girlfriend get in a fight on the way back?" Ayame asked, not bothering to think of herself as nosy as she broke the solid silence in the air.

Upon the question, both the blonde and the Hyuuga tensed before the former snorted at the inquiry, causing the midnight-haired girl's face to fall once hearing the sound.

Watching their reactions carefully, Ayame sighed, deciding not to probe in the affair any longer.

"Ah, yes, I remember my own first lover's quarrel. A silly thing it was about, yes…" Teuchi began, trailing off as he reminisced in his own memories, not taking notice that neither the two youngsters before him were taking any heed to his words. He stopped his ramble when his daughter laughed, sending her a questioning look.

"Oh, father, you and your stories," Ayame commented with a wave of her hand before glancing at the clock briefly. "Besides," she added, turning around to look at her old man, "it's time for your medications and then your subsequent nap." Her father grumbled at the statement as his daughter turned towards Naruto and Hinata. "Do you two mind watching the shop for a half hour, at least? Father can be stubborn as a mule when it comes to taking his meds, and he isn't the easiest to put down."

"I kick like a mule, too!" the old man called from a distance after stalking away, grumbling incoherently to himself.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," replied Naruto briskly yet nonchalantly.

The brunette smiled at the two appreciatively before turning 180 degrees, scurrying after her father.

A few moments later, the sound of a dying hum coming from an engine entered the couple's ears as they both simultaneously craned their necks to see where the noise was coming from. Seeing a car in the distance, followed by Sakura and Sasuke emerging from the vehicle, both pairs of eyes blinked concurrently.

"Ah, Hinata-chan, there you are!" Sakura called out, her feet immediately scurrying over to the girl as she sat down in a stool to the right of her. She smiled at her comrade, saying, "Oh, I love that outfit your wearing…"

Hinata smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

After all, she knew that the pink-haired woman was merely starting small talk girls speak of in general to throw off the two males currently watching them before they got to the real matter of why they decided to meet.

"Right, so about what happened…" Sakura started, lowering her tone to a point where to the general ear it sounded inaudible. However, to both the girl's trained hearing, they could hear each other just fine. "How did this all start? I know you're not careless or anything."

Sasuke, standing a few feet away, arched a brow upon hearing the new conversation topic, focusing his ears as he intended to listen intently on what the two girls were saying. However, before he could hear more, a strong tug was felt on his arm before he was jerked a good distance away, blocking him from hearing anything else.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, dobe?" the Uchiha hissed, sending a glare towards the blonde's direction as he yanked his forearm away from Naruto's grip. "I was collecting information on the targets."

"Well, there's something you should know about one, the one I said that I'd take care of," the blonde-haired assassin replied directly. "She's trying to kill me!"

"What did you do _now_?" the raven-haired male asked after heaving a sigh, his voice deadpanned.

Cerulean eyes rolled as Naruto's glower deepened. "Nothing, you asshole! I mean she's _really _trying to kill me!" He raised his hand and made a slicing motion against his throat using his forefinger for added emphasis.

Onyx eyes narrowed, his voice blank. "How do you know?"

"Earlier today, I heard her on the phone. She sounded all upset or something, and she said that she 'didn't want to kill me.' I confronted her about it, asked her who she was talking about and what the fuck was going on, but then she saw the gun in my jacket, and come _on_, only people like you and me would be able to see I even had a gun! I'm telling you, teme, I think she's like some secretly hired killer that somehow knows about us—"

"Idiot, we're killing them in the first place for discovering too much information of Akatsuki."

Naruto growled, "I know! But hearing on the phone first hand is more than enough proof for me to know she's up to something, and that involves my death!" Then azure eyes darted upwards, a thoughtful hand grasping his chin as he pondered to himself for a few moments. "Huh, maybe she's some chick I had a one night stand with and forgot to call or something… or _maybe_—"

Sasuke snorted, interrupting his remark. "Dobe, you're overreacting." He then sidestepped, onyx orbs glancing over at the two chatty females as he noticed Sakura holding a small compact mirror, then Hinata's somber expression suddenly changing into content one as she laughed aloud.

"That Hinata girl looks like she could hurt a fly."

-

_Meanwhile… _

-

"That was a little too close, Hinata," Sakura murmured to the said girl. "Next time, if you're ever going to talk to Tsunade-shishou like that, you should do it without _anyone_ around. Especially when the person you're talking about is just a few feet away!"

"I—I know… it was a small mistake," came the Hyuuga's reply.

"Yeah, a mistake that could have jeopardized everything." Sakura turned the small, compact mirror in her hand, her fingers dancing along her porcelain cheek as she feigned the look of checking her own complexion in a vain manner.

The real purpose of her mirror was to discreetly keep on eye on Naruto and Sasuke, her large jade eyes fixed on both men's mouths as she read their lips, trying to decipher what they were saying. Upon catching Sasuke's eyes glancing over, she had told Hinata to laugh to keep up the appearance that they were speaking idly of clothes or village gossip and such.

"Has he looked away yet?" Hinata asked softly, keeping her pretend smile on her pale face. Sakura pursed her lips, not giving a reply for a few moments.

"…And… there, he looked away."

The midnight-haired maiden exhaled quietly. "Can you tell what they're saying, Sakura-chan?"

"One sec…" the said woman replied, twisting her wrist as she tried to angle her mirror so the reflection gave her a better few. She could only see Naruto's mouth clearly, and could tell when Sasuke spoke when his jaw moved ever so slightly.

Emerald eyes blinked furiously when the sun's rays came in contact with the mirror image, blinding her for a few moments. Snapping her eyes open again, she fixed her verdant gaze upon the reflection once more, mentally cursing as she glimpsed upon the dark eyes of Sasuke's looking directly at her from the back of his head, his stare locked directly on her own through the reflection of the mirror.

She remained perfectly still, keeping her face neutral as she saw his eyes narrow somewhat before taking a step, his back now facing her as Naruto soon aligned vertically with him, the Uchiha's broad shoulders blocking the blonde's mouth, preventing Sakura from reading their lips any further.

_Damn it, _the blossom-haired woman thought to herself, snapping the compact mirror to a close with her single hand before dropping it idly in her small purse. _He caught me._

-

_Meanwhile…_

-

"Oi, dobe," Sasuke muttered to his comrade. Naruto glanced back at him, cerulean eyes watching the raven-haired male position himself in a new angle. "Move ahead of me, Sakura is watching and reading our mouths."

Naruto's expression changed somewhat upon the information, jaws falling open slightly before frowning. "You know, Sasuke-teme, I think Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan are working together."

The Uchiha remained silent, his mind remembering the "hidden weapon" he had found on the blossom-haired girl. A frown set on his face as he contemplated the thought, only to realize the facts did add up and it did seem logical.

"Hn," came his grunted reply.

_We need to devise a plan to prove this "theory" of the dobe's, _the assassin thought to himself, his frown deepening fairly as he deliberated.

Rising his gaze, onyx clashed with cerulean. "Here's what we'll do," he spoke to Naruto, the said blonde's ears perking as he listened intently. "We'll get into some stupid argument, and you'll throw a punch at me. I'll dodge and move behind you, pushing you towards the girls." Naruto nodded as Sasuke continued, his voice even and flat, "Fall forward, and as you do, take out two senbon from your jacket and throw them, aiming more at your target than mine. You have senbon, don't you?"

The blonde-haired assassin gave a foxy grin, patting the upper part of his jacket with the palm of his hand. Sasuke nodded at the confirmation.

"Crouch low after throwing them, I'll be throwing another set following yours. Understand?"

His foxy grin only widened as Naruto crossed his arms behind his head, leaning shiny blonde hair against them. "Sounds good to me! This'll be perfect, too, because with our skills no normal person could see the knives coming. And, if they don't notice them, they'll die, and that'll take care of our mission!"

Sasuke smirked. "Exactly."

"Then let's do this!" Naruto unfolded his arms, clearing his voice with one arm in front of his mouth before lowering his hands, bending his fingers as he cracked his knuckles.

"Make it convincing."

Naruto chortled. "No problem, we do this everyday!" He then spoke again, this time loud enough for anyone around to hear. "God dammit, teme! Here you are, thinking you're so high and mighty all the time, it's sick! And with your I-have-a-pole-way-up-my-ass personality too, ugh, I don't know what chicks see in you!" He then raised his hands, cracking his knuckles. He grinned to himself when he saw Hinata and Sakura's faces turn to look at them, the two's expressions wondering what all the commotion was about. "Time you learn a lesson, you arrogant bastard!"

Just as planned, Naruto lunged forward, throwing a closed fist at the Uchiha's face. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, moving at incredible speed behind the blonde as he outstretched his arm, the palm of his hand coming in contact with the small of Naruto's back. The said man fell forward, discreetly plunging his hand in his orange jacket as his fingers held two senbon between them, eyes moving upward at the two females who watched the scene with surprised expressions.

In the blink of an eye, the senbon were launched, followed by a couple strands of blonde hair falling in front of azure eyes as they glimpsed another pocketknife fly right behind the senbon, aimed more directly at a certain blossom-haired girl.

Upon catching the sight of the weapons at the last minute, Hinata's body acted immediately on impulse, her leg swinging over the stool she had been sitting on as jumped off, picking up the stool's legs with both hands as she held the cushion part of the chair towards the incoming weapon, the senbon landing directly in the center—the whole movement happening in a mere few seconds.

Sakura, upon seeing the senbon and realizing there was a sharper knife following the thin dagger a few seconds later, widened her emerald eyes by a mere fraction. She was used to thinking on her feet, and seeing as they had "strangely" come from Naruto and Sasuke's direction (although not seeing they had thrown the weapons in the first place but able to safely assume that) she caught the senbon between her fingers, tossing it aside rapidly as she moved her arm, allowing the small blade of the pocketknife to seep through her skin, blood immediately flowing out.

After all, with the mind of a doctor when it came to the human body as Tsunade herself had personally taught her, Sakura knew that the blade had only hit a part in her arm that could only create a flesh wound, nothing more serious.

Everything seemed still from that moment on, only the faint dripping of Sakura's blood pooling on the floor could be heard through the stillness. Naruto had regained his balance at this point, straightening up with Sasuke still standing a few feet behind him. Both had slightly feigned shock on their faces—only slightly, because their suspicions had been true as proven from what occurred a few moments ago, and the fact that Sakura had actually been wounded. In the intervening time, Hinata placed down the stool she had still been holding to it's upright position, large lavender eyes immediately glimpsing upon the crimson blood trailing down Sakura's porcelain arm.

"Sa-Sakura-chan! Your arm!" Hinata gasped, her hands flying in front of her mouth.

The blossom-haired woman held opposite bleeding arm with her opposite hand, emerald eyes glancing upon her wound. "Oh, no!" she faked the shock etched on her face. She tilted her head upwards, looking directly at the Hyuuga. "Hinata, go get my car for me, will you? We'll stitch this up at your house." She tossed the midnight-haired woman the keys before turning her head to where Naruto and Sasuke stood. "I'm going to go to the bathroom to wash this up, so you two just stay here, okay?"

Before Naruto could open his mouth to protest, let alone blink, Hinata had took off with the keys jingling in her grasp while Sakura headed the opposite direction, still clutching the flow of blood from her forearm. It was then cerulean eyes blinked, side-stepping as his eyes gave a side-glance towards Sasuke.

"…Did you see that, teme?" inquired Naruto, mouth tugging in a frown. "Hinata-chan dodged it, and Sakura-chan caught mine, but got hit by yours. But the fact that they saw it means… so they must be…"

"…I know," came the Uchiha's gruff reply, his own face marring with a frown. "But you saw how Sakura deflected the first one, she must have noticed my following one. Unless…"

"Unless, what?"

"Unless she meant to get hit on purpose."

Naruto's cobalt pupils expanded in reaction. "If she _did _let herself get hit, then that means—"

_((SFX: Screech!))_

The sound of tires squealing against the coarse road erupted in the air, both men's heads whipping instantaneously towards the direction of where the sound was coming from. The sight that greeted them was that of Hinata in the driver's seat, foot pressing heavily against the gas petal with Sakura in the passenger's seat, a towel clutching her injured arm as they drove off.

Naruto immediately lunged towards the direction in reaction in an attempt to stop the fleeing girls, but the car was already speeding off, leaving only dust flying up in the air in their tracks. Both assassins glowered at this, Naruto grounding his teeth against one another whilst he clenched his fist repeatedly as a heavy scowl set in Sasuke's pale features.

"Damn it!" yelled the blonde-haired murderer, throwing a fist in the air as he punched it against the palm of his opposite hand. "How could I have been tricked so easily?!"

"The two going off in different directions, losing them out of our sight," the Uchiha added, his tone seething. "Perfect opportunity to escape."

Another frustrated growl from Naruto. "Agh! How could we be so stupid?!"

Sasuke gave his partner a pointed look. "Get over it, dobe, there's no time to waste. We have to go after them."

_The fact that they noticed our weapons is one thing, but being able to react fast enough to dodge them is another, _thought the raven-haired man. _Hinata having to kill Naruto, Sakura's hidden weapon… they not only know of Akatsuki, they're trying to eliminate us as well. _

"Of course we have to go after them! But where do we even start, huh, Sasuke-bastard? Ever think of that? We have no idea where they're going—we're not mind readers! So where the _hell _are we supposed to go?"

The Uchiha threw another sharp stare, eyebrows knitting together in a glare. "We'll start with Konoha University. As students there, there must be some files with more information about the targets."

Naruto averted his gaze. "Not to mention that's where they found out about the Akatsuki first, so we'll find out how they discovered the murder organization."

In reply, the raven-haired male gave a hint of a nod, a scowl still set in his face.

"Heh, we'll be killing two birds with one stone. Too bad it won't be the targets we're killing, though," added the blonde-haired assassin. Sasuke didn't bother to respond, a few seconds of silence taking place before he spoke up.

"Let's go."

-

-

-

A soft humming sound erupted from the engine from the car as the tires ground against the coarse rode smoothly. Soon the vehicle came to a slow stop, right in front of the Hyuuga Compound.

Getting out of the driver's seat and heading over to the passenger's side, Hinata opened the door, helping Sakura get out as the blossom-haired girl continued pressing a firm grip against her open wound. Most of the bleeding had stopped by this time, but out of medical instinct, Sakura knew to keep her hand against her injury.

As Hinata lead her comrade inside, she settled her down on a simple sofa. Luckily, at the time, the Hyuuga's abode was mostly empty; save for the few residents that knew better than to ask what had happened when they saw the traces of blood.

After having scurried off to a nearby bathroom and emerging with some gauze, a small hand towel, and some antibiotics (to prevent infection), Hinata immediately began dabbing the wound lightly as Sakura grimaced slightly, but other than that kept a neutral façade to the pain.

"Sorry…" the dark-haired girl would apologize whenever she saw the injured woman wince as she rubbed some alcohol to clean the slash.

"I can take it from here, Hinata," Sakura replied, giving her a smile in thanks nonetheless as she took the gauze and expertly wrapped it around her arm, tying it securely. She flexed her fingers as she waved her arm a few times, large sea green orbs blinking as her smile remained on her pretty face, noting her arm still worked fine aside from the small doses of pain coming from her gash.

"Do you think we showed too much?" Hinata's soft voice spoke. "When the senbon were flying at us, I mean…"

Emerald pupils blinked, her expression shifting into a thoughtful one. "If we hadn't done anything, we would have died. I mean, it _was _only instinct, right?"

"But… Naruto-kun's and Sasuke-san's faces…"

"They weren't shocked from how we moved, Hinata," Sakura spoke evenly, knowing she was somewhat lying through her teeth. "I mean, I did let myself get hit. Just to get us out of the situation. You should know better than anyone else that I'm not that careless."

"But…" the Hyuuga's mouth tugged downwards in a frown. "I think… I think they might think otherwise…"

Pointing her viridian gaze downwards, Sakura's eyelids hooded over her eyes. "You're right, they probably are suspicious…" She shot her head upwards, looking directly in Hinata's eyes as the said girl gazed at her curiously. "We can't waste anymore time then, Hinata. We have to kill them now—to stop them from having to kill anyone else. 'Kill one—Save a thousand', remember?" It was then Sakura's turn to frown. "Unless, you still don't want to go through with it…"

In response, the midnight-haired girl ducked her head down, her thick lashes lowering over her mauve eyes. "It's… it's not what I want… but I understand what I have to do."

The blossom-haired woman sighed, idly running a hand through her pink tresses. "I hate to admit it, but I think I know what you mean…"

"You do?" Hinata whispered, slowly lifting her gaze.

A small bitter smile tugged on Sakura's lips. "He's one of the most arrogant guys I've met, so used to getting everything he wants, I'm sure. But, there's something about him… I don't even want to _consider_ what it is about him, but whatever it is makes him… _different_." A soft laugh sounded from her mouth. "And to think when we first met Naruto and Sasuke at Tsunade-shishou's party that we thought they were just another pair of regular guys."

Hinata gave a gentle smile following the statement, remembering how when the girls had met the guys it _had _been a genuine attraction that caused the four of them to get along naturally. It wasn't until they had received a call from Tsunade that the blonde-haired woman herself had received a mysterious phone call from very, _very _discreet sources (so inconspicuous that it was impossible to track) claiming that two renowned assassins were in the area that Tsunade had told the girls to be alarmed.

"_I want you to look into things," _Tsunade had said. _"Anything mysterious with any certain person, and I want you to report it to me." _

It wasn't until Hinata and Sakura had begun noting odd traits coming from Sasuke and Naruto (such as Hinata's viewing of Naruto's gun, and Sasuke's muttering of the word "targets") that the girls had begun to grow suspicious, only to put two and two together and come to realize they must have been the two most renowned assassins throughout the Fire country.

This lead to calling Tsunade and reporting the facts, causing the said blonde to tell the girls to rid the murderers from very existence. Although hesitant at first, as females weren't too high on the idea of killing mercilessly, Tsunade added that "disposing" of them would stop the manslaughter they had committed.

"_After all," _she had commented, _"they _are _only 'guns for hire.'" _

"Hinata-chan? Hinata?" Sakura called, snapping her fingers in front of the dazed Hyuuga's face. "Earth to Hinata? Anyone in there?"

Lavender eyes blinked a few times as she realized she had gotten too absorbed in her thoughts, a natural embarrassed flush creeping up on her pale features. "Ano, sorry about that…"

Sakura tilted her head before dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand. "As I was saying," the blossom-haired woman continued, "we need to get the guys quick now. That little 'display' at Ichiraku made us probably show too much skill that we have, and I know Sasuke isn't stupid. He'll put two and two together and catch on."

Fumbling with her fingers, Hinata hesitantly nodded in agreement. "But, Sakura-chan… where do we go looking for them? We—We did leave off in a hurry, who knows where they could have gone?"

"They're not residents here, so I'm sure they don't know their way around town specifically yet, so they shouldn't be that hard to find." By this time Sakura had risen from the couch, strolling towards the door with Hinata following her. "For now, let's get the equipment we'll need to take care of this."

Lowering her gaze, the dark-haired girl knew what Sakura meant by "equipment"— guns, kunai, senbon, grenades — any killing weapon you could imagine, and more, all stored in a hefty little belt that fit nicely around the curves of their waists.

And so, with no furthermore saying, Sakura stowed herself in the driver seat of her car as Hinata took the passenger seat beside her. After all, despite the blossom-haired woman's injury to her forearm, it wasn't as though her arm was numb and therefore she could still drive fine.

With that, the tires skidded against the street as they zoomed past, evasively driving through a couple lineups of passing-by cars, headed for one direct destination, which contained all the tools they would need.

Konoha University.

* * *

**A/N:**** So our two favorite couples are heading towards the same destination, both with the same intent. Will they cross paths? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to see.**

**Okay, so I really wanted to get this chapter out. Honestly, after the part where Sasuke says "Let's go," I had a writer's block. But I figured out what to do to finish up the ending to get it where I wanted, and even though I'm not one-hundred percent pleased with the idea I had come up with, well, I gave it my best shot, hahaha.**

**Anyway, I'm going to visit family for a week so no updating there, and I have a little idea for the next chapter (some feelings may be revealed, ahem, **_**maybe**_**!) and so, without further ado, please read and review! Hope you liked the chapter.**


	13. Rules

**A/N: **If you hadn't noticed already, yes, I was formerly known as _Animegurl9164_ but I changed my pen name for something more age-appropriate, considering I had made my former screenname when I was in fifth grade. (I came up with the name at that age, and never thought of anything else clever and just used that until this point on.)

Also, Be sure to read the important note at the bottom of the chapter, and please make an effort to drop by a review, it's really good to know feedback!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plotline.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku. NaruHina.

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Rules**

_((SFX: screeeeech))_

The car came to a squealing halt, skidding against the coarse road, twisting sideways as it drove to a stop. Once the engine of the vehicle died down in a soft hum, two figures stepped out. One tossed the keys in the air, catching it with a swipe of a hand. The other put a hand on the opposite shoulder, rotating the shoulder backwards as the bones crackled from the stretch.

"Che, you should have never gotten your license, dobe," Sasuke murmured, rolling his shoulder one last time.

Naruto scoffed at the comment, jingling the keys before dropping it in his back pocket. "Hmph, whatever, teme! I stole the car, didn't I?"

The Uchiha shook his head at the memory, sneering, recalling how not long ago they had simply held a knife discreetly to a man in a car before shoving him out, followed by Naruto taking the wheel and driving like a mad man drunk, skidding idiotically through the rows of lined cars in traffic as the vehicles honked vehemently at his aggressive driving skill. With each toot of the horn, the blonde driver would stick his head out the rolled down window, a string of curses flying through his mouths for the cars to "stop acting like a bunch of pricks" and "shut the fuck up!"

"Anyway, let's get started," piped up Naruto, turning his head as cerulean eyes glanced upon the parking lot of Konoha University. Without his raven-haired partner saying another word, the two walked through the dimly lit internal parking space.

Both men glanced around their surroundings, finding themselves in the student library of Konoha University. Students shuffled around them as others studied with laptops or examined the contents of textbooks, scurrying to take notes from what they read and learned.

"Where are we headed for?" Naruto questioned, glancing towards Sasuke with a quirked eyebrow.

The Uchiha shook his head at the forgetfulness of his partner. Not to mention that he was dense as hell. "The principal's office must have records of her students. We'll start there and see if we can find anything."

The blonde nodded. "Alright. And I know just how to get there, too." The raven-haired male arched an elegant eyebrow, jerking with his head to lead the way. Nodding once more, Naruto turned around with a charming grin and began walking. Soon Sasuke found themselves where the cashier for the student library was, with two scholars operating behind them – one of them being a girl.

"Excuse me, lovely miss," spoke Naruto with a smooth tone, giving the brunette a charming grin as she blushed naturally from his charisma.

"Erm, yes?" she answered, her voice somewhat hesitant.

"Where could I find the principal's office? My friend and I here" – he motioned to Sasuke by throwing his thumb over his shoulder, pointing – "need to go speak with…"

"Tsunade-sama, you mean?"

"Ah, yes. That would be her."

The blushing brunette smiled, pushing up her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. After voicing and motioning with her hands the directions, Naruto nodded, thanking her with another grin before walking off, a silent Sasuke trailing after him.

"See, I told you I knew where to go," the blonde added with a cheeky grin, folding his arms behind his head. The Uchiha snorted at the statement, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he trudged along.

Door by door they passed, walking down the hallways of the community campus. Cerulean eyes blinked, seeing their designated destination of the headmistress's room just a few yards ahead.

"Oi, dobe."

The call caused Naruto to stop, turning his head over his shoulder as he blinked his eyes curiously. "Yo, what is it, teme?"

Sasuke jerked his head to the right, and azure pupils followed the movement, glancing at a door.

But not just any ordinary door – it was bolted especially down, with a "DO NOT ENTER"sign hung deliberately in the center. Scribbled underneath the sign was: _IF YOU DO ENTER, IMMEDIATE EXPULSION FROM KONOHA UNIVERSITY WILL TAKE EFFECT.  
_

Placing a hand under his chin, Naruto rubbed the sides of his jaw with his fingers, his hand propped against his other arm that crossed his chest.

"Interesting…" the blonde male spoke, walking over to the door Sasuke now stood next to. He picked up the heavy lock, twisting it back and forth as sapphire eyes examined the steel bolt. "Wonder what's behind here, huh?"

"We're about to find out," the Uchiha replied, discreetly taking out a small pistol out of his sleeve.

Both men wore a black v-neck tee with a motorcycle jacket, along with dark pants. The colors of their garments were dark in case they would "have to blend in with the shadows."

Onyx eyes shifted around, making sure there were no witnesses before he shot the bolt, effectively breaking the padlock as it fell idly to the floor.

_((SFX: BANG!))_

"Whoa, watch the fireworks, guys!" Naruto called out with his mouth beside his hand, covering the thump of the heavy bolt along with the snapping sound of the gun firing.

Sasuke wordlessly kicked the door open as it slung back, slamming against the inside wall. Just as Naruto was about to step in, the raven-haired male held out his arm, preventing his further proceeding.

"Eh? What are you waiting for?" questioned the blonde, cerulean eyes blinking, bemused.

"There could be security cameras in there, dolt," replied his partner. "Check."

Naruto sighed, shifting his jacket by pushing it further up his face to additionally conceal his identity. He poked his head inside, his cobalt pupils shifting around the area. When it looked to a corner of the wall, his vision spotted what he was searching for – a camera, discreetly hidden behind a random jar perched by a wooden shelf.

_Bingo. _

"There is one. Lucky guess," grumbled the blonde man, leaning back as he glanced over towards Sasuke. He tilted his head back, pointing towards the inside of the room he just looked in. "45 degrees North, aim for that."

With a brief nod, the Uchiha cocked his pistol, aiming directly where Naruto had told him. Shooting without wasting a breath, his companion ducked, his hands flying above his head.

"Shit, _shit_, teme! Damn it, you almost shot my fucking _head_ off!" Naruto cried out, patting the top of his head with his hand to make sure he still had hair. "Warn me next time!"

"Che, I was following your pinpoints."

Naruto growled at his partner's response. "You weren't aiming accurately, you ass—!"

_((SFX: bump))_

The blonde-haired assassin turned his head, seeing the camera fall to the floor, shot bulls-eye in the lens. He scoffed as Sasuke smirked, efficiently proving Naruto wrong.

"Whatever, lucky shot! You're just getting lucky today, yeah." Whipping his head to the side with a huff, the grumbling man stalked inside, the Uchiha following close behind as they closed the door behind them.

Inside the compact room were many filing cabinets, perched against the wall bolted down securely. With a risen eyebrow, Naruto stepped forward, grasping the handle of one of the filing cabinets before tugging it open. However, after a few pulls, the drawer did not open, let alone budge.

"Eh? What's up with this thing?" questioned the blonde, muttering to himself as he tried to tug it open some more, his bicep flexing on his arm against the black v-neck tee dawned on his torso. "Tch, another lock!"

"Step aside," Sasuke commanded, his arm rising directly straight with his pistol aimed for the bolt.

"Whoa, whoa, hold it!" Naruto called, placing a hand on his wrist and lowering the gun. The Uchiha scowled at him, and his partner answered his unasked question. "No need to create another loud noise, teme. The last thing we need is suspicion that we're in here." He then dug in the pocket of his long dark pants, fishing out what he was looking for with a grin – a hairpin.

"Where did you get that?" questioned the raven-haired male flatly, narrowing his onyx orbs at his partner in assassination.

"Hinata-chan" – seeing the look Sasuke was giving him, Naruto cleared his throat before rewording – "I mean, the target, it fell out of her hair, when I had her in an alley."

The Uchiha shook his head; not even wanting to ask let alone know why his blonde companion had one of the targets in an alley, doubting it was for attempting murder purposes.

Without another word, Naruto bent down slightly, sticking the hairpin inside the lock as he twisted his hand. His tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth absentmindedly as he worked; giving a few more twists and jerks with his hand before the lock finally popped open. Grinning victoriously, he then easily slid out the lock from its hold, tossing it aside carelessly as it fell upon the floor with a _clank_.

The blonde opened the drawer, cerulean eyes peering inside as a mass of records were held.

"Look at all these documents, Sasuke," Naruto stated, nudging with his head to the paper files. His partner glanced inside, watching as the golden-haired assassin seized one beige folder, opening it up with both his hands before cerulean pupils scanned across the contents. "Blah, blah, blah… something about some chick named Anko… hey, look at this, teme! It says Orochimaru's name in here…!"

That instantly caught the raven-haired male's attention. "Hand it over," he commented brusquely. Once receiving the file in his hand, ebony eyes examined the written words. His eyebrows knitted together at the information perused.

Meanwhile, as Sasuke read, Naruto took out two other documents, reading inside. "Whoa, check it out!"

The Uchiha glanced upwards, his mouth quirking at the gawking face of the blonde's.

"What is it?" he asked flatly.

"It's _us_, teme! Our files – right here!"

Placing the record on a nearby shelf, Sasuke stepped over, glimpsing the papers held in the folder his cohort held. His eyes widened by a fraction, reading his name and Naruto's, both with not much information but the information was _there_, nonetheless.

"This is where they found out about Akatsuki, and everything else," concluded the Uchiha with a heavy scowl.

"Holy shit, that's right," responded the blonde. "Time to get rid of this crap!" He looked over to the raven-haired male. "You got a lighter?"

With a small shrug, Sasuke dug his hand in his jet-black jacket, probing about until his hand caught what it was looking for. Handing Naruto the small lighter, he watched with furrowed eyebrows as his partner flicked open the cover, a small flame burning as he placed it under a corner of the files with both the assassinators' names.

Almost instantaneously the paper caught on fire, burning as Naruto tossed it rapidly away, waving his hand in the air to rid the distinct burn he felt on his fingertips. Taking the lighter from his grasp, Sasuke followed suit, placing the blaze over the other records inside the filing cabinet's drawer.

The combustion immediately erupted before the flames reached the metal, causing the fire to spread as an inferno in the room broke loose, catching practically everything on fire. Naruto opened the door, to get fresh air so their lungs wouldn't get tainted with smoke, and slipped out, Sasuke following suit a few seconds later. The blonde closed the door behind the Uchiha, coughing and hacking, waving his hand in front of his face for a few moments before wiping his whiskery cheeks, ridding the dark smog smudged on his face. Then he wiped his hands against one another, taking a few steps away from the door.

"Okay, now that that's done, back to the principal's office to look at the information on the targets, right?"

"Hn," grunted Sasuke in response, giving a faint nod.

Walking down a few more corridors, the two men stopped when they reached a door. Titled with a brass plate in the center of it, it read: _KONOHA UNIVERSITY HEADMISTRESS: TSUNADE'S OFFICE._

Placed beneath the sign was a paper, hung by mere scotch tape. On it, read: _Sake break! Be back in thirty minutes - NO ENTERING OTHERWISE._

Naruto grinned, chortling at the sign as he threw his head back, cackling. "They just make this too easy!"

Bending down, already predicting the door would be locked, the blonde-haired killer used the hairpin to jam the bolt, thus successfully unlocking the door. Grasping the door handle, he pushed the wooden entrance open, stepping inside.

_((SFX: BANG!))_

Immediately, Naruto jerked, all his senses on high alert as he crouched low in a defensive position. Cerulaen eyes blinked, craning his neck over his shoulder to see Sasuke holding his pistol up, fresh steam from a recently fired bullet flowing out the front.

"What the - are you _trying _to kill me?!"

"Security device and camera, 180 degrees to your left. Dobe."

Seeing yet another perfect aim with the bullet imbedded directly in the center, Naruto snorted, shaking his head roughly side to side as his blonde hair whipped around.

"LUCKY! You're just getting lucky, I tell you!"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke brushed past his loudmouthed companion, heading towards similar looking filing cabinets from the other room that were placed in the back of the office. By merely using his strength, the Uchiha pulled open the drawer, effectively breaking the lock binding it to a close.

"What are their last names?" questioned the raven-haired man, dark onyx orbs glancing over the folders assorted in alphabetical order by last name.

"Uh… let's see…" murmured Naruto in reply, his arm rising as his fingers grazed over his scalp, ruffling sun-kissed blond hair as his mind racked through to think of the names. After a few moments, he snapped his fingers upon having remembered. "Oh, I know! It's Hyuuga Hinata, and Haruno Sakura." He grinned triumphantly having figured out the information all by himself, without the so-claimed Uchiha genius's help, as he folded his arms behind his head, leaning his head against the palm of his hands.

"Aa, here," replied Uchiha, having fished out the records a few seconds later before tossing Naruto Hinata's folder.

"Hm… let's see…" mumbled the blonde, cerulean and onyx eyes simultaneously peering down the information in each folder they both held seperately.

-

-

-

Sakura slammed the door open, Hinata scurrying inside after her as the pink-haired eighteen-year-old stepped inside her dorm.

"We need to act quick," Sakura said, her feet gliding across the carpet floor until she reached the back of her large dorm room.

Normally, each room was small, with a mere bunk bed and a desk to work in. But after becoming "specialized killers" under headmistress Tsunade, the blonde woman had allowed some "remodeling" to be done, all courtesy for both Sakura and Hinata's hard work.

Reaching her bathroom, the blossom-haired woman bent down, knocking on the hollow floorboards.

_((SFX: thump thump))_

After hearing the hollow echo, a small smile tugged on Sakura's lips as she removed the board, revealing two belts. Around the belts, all neatly assembled in pockets, were grenades, handguns, large guns, knives, and a few smoke bombs. Taking it out, the woman then proceeded to heading back to the main room. Emerald eyes glanced around, searching for the Hyuuga.

"Hinata? Where are you?"

"Over here," the midnight-haired woman replied softly.

Sakura's ears perked, having heard the answer sound from the kitchen. She walked inside, seeing Hinata punch a few codes into the oven before pulling open the door by the handle. A silver case rose from the inside of the range before it slid out. Four drawers opened from the front as the top of the case rose, breaking apart to the side revealing even more drawers as each slid out from the side. Inside the silver case were weapons of all shapes and sizes, such as daggers and firearms. Taking a few knives gently in her grasp, Hinata twisted the blades, the sun beaming through the curtain of the window reflecting brilliantly off the sharp edge of the stilettos.

Leaving the kitchen for a few moments, Sakura returned, having gone through her closet and bringing out to slick, dark coats with jet-black tank tops along with matching shorts in her grasp along with the utility belts.

"Here, put these on," the blossom-haired woman said, handing her the garments and weapons.

Hinata nodded silently, slipping into a nearby bathroom to do so.

With the privacy of the room, as no one was in there, Sakura simply stripped off her clothing, switching into the articles of clothing before fastening the belt securely around her curved waist. Looking over to the drawers revealed from the oven, she took a few daggers and stuck it in her back pockets and the hold beneath the padding of her shorts.  
_  
((SFX: creak))_

The restroom door scraped against the floor, creating a screeching sound as the Hyuuga reappeared, just finishing strapping on the belt around her hips. There was a small frown on her face as she took a large butcher knife, adding it on to her belt as she pocketed it.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" questioned her partner, emerald eyes blinking with concern held in them.

The midnight-haired maiden looked up at Sakura, giving her a meek reassuring smile. "I… just don't want to have to do this. Violence isn't the answer, Sakura-chan."

Said woman glanced down, thick lashes fringing over dark jade orbs. "I understand, Hinata. But in a world that we live in, sometimes we don't have a choice, you know?"

"You always have a choice," Hinata replied softly, her own thick eyelashes hooding over distinct lavender eyes.

Sakura sighed quietly. "Of course, but when there is higher authority taken place, you have to follow their rules, their choices, now don't you?" Not giving any time for her partner to retort, Sakura jerked her head towards the door. "Come on, we have to go to Tsunade-shishou's office to warn her in case the guys come here."

Without a word, Hinata nodded mutely, following the pink-haired woman out the door as they headed towards the headmistress's office.

-

-

-

"Huh, check this out, teme," Naruto commented, the two assassins having continued to look down at the records of their targets. "Hinata-chan's pretty smart." Leaning over, cerulean eyes darted over to where Sasuke held the folder, peering at the transcripts. "Hey, Sakura-chan's smart, too!"

"Aa," the Uchiha replied blankly, moreover having ignored whatever his blonde companion had said, not bothering to listen as it was probably off-topic. He twisted the folder back and forth in his hand, onyx eyes glancing over every corner. He then lifted the record paper up, as it was stapled to the folder, and noticed a small note slipped underneath. His fingers crawled beneath the document, popping out the small note.

Dark ebony eyes examined the contents of the note, having handwriting on it that looked hastily written. It read:

_For additional information, regard 272447-4725. _

Onyx pupils narrowed at this, skepticism forming within them. _272447-4725… it must be a code. But what does it mean?_ His eyebrows knitted together, trying to decipher what the secret code could be, how it could be interpreted, and what it meant in significance.

"Oi, dobe," Sasuke called out, Naruto glancing over at him with an arched eyebrow, his expression curious. "Does '272447-4725' mean anything to you?"

"Eh? 272-what?" replied the blonde, tilting his head to the side in a confused manner.

"27244—"

_((SFX: slam!))_

Sakura opened the door, with much force than she expected herself to give, causing the entrance to slam against the wall. Hinata followed behind, both girls moving to fast to notice the sign on the door saying that the blonde-haired woman that the two were currently looking for was out on a "sake break."

At the noise, Sasuke and Naruto's faces immediately snapped upwards from the files. The latter openly gawked at the sight of the two females, their targets whose files they currently held in their hands.

"Tsunade—" Sakura started before emerald eyes caught sight of the two men inside the small room furnished with a simple bookshelf and desk. She took a sharp inhale of air, her breath hitching in her throat, preventing her from saying anything else.

Hinata soon appeared at her side, gasping softly as her mouth fell open as well, lavender eyes widening in shock.

The room seemed to be frozen in time, a tense stillness taking place in the cramped area. No one dared to break the silence, for neither person knew what to do at the situation.

Kill the targets at that moment, or get the hell out of there?

Slowly, Sasuke moved his onyx eyes discreetly, glancing over at Naruto who gradually shifted his cerulean orbs to meet his own. The Uchiha could see the blonde nodding mentally through his eyes.

Moving swiftly, Sasuke grabbed the folder in Naruto's grasp before shutting them close and tossing them on Tsunade's stationary mahogany desk. He then bent low, swinging his leg across in a speedy kick as Sakura instantly reacted, jumping to the side (lightly bumping into Hinata's shoulder.)

Using the intervening time of her in the air, the raven-haired male sprinted forward, dashing towards the door.

Emerald eyes widened by a fraction seeing this, immediately moving her hand to her holster which held a small gun as she took it out, immediately firing a bullet.

The bullet sped by, invisible to the naked eye. The Uchiha hissed, the bullet having been aimed so accurately that it grazed along his arm that had lunged forward during his sprint. Blood spilled from the sharp wound, but Sasuke knew he didn't have time to stop, lest he want to be killed. He ignored his searing pain, onyx eyes moving to the back of his head to see if Naruto was keeping up.

The said man had moved forward as well, brushing by Hinata as his hand inconspicuously reached inside a part of her utility belt, covered by her cloak but he could still see it with his sharp gaze, and managed to snag a grenade.

However, the Hyuuga felt his light touch against her, and she immediately acted on instinct as her hand plunged into his stomach.

Naruto keeled over, his other hand that wasn't holding the grenade coming up to his mouth as he coughed. One cerulean eye came to a close in a wince, seeing as he had coughed up blood, and a hearty amount of it. His other arm, which held the grenade, was wound across his stomach, pain surging throughout his body.

Sasuke, seeing this, immediately knew he couldn't leave his comrade behind. He promptly moved, his wounded arm reaching out (despite the great throbbing in doing so) and grasped the collar of Naruto's shirt, jerking it as he lunged the blonde a few steps ahead of him, mentally telling him by his actions to keep on running.

Still grimacing from the ache on his abdomen, Naruto unwillingly sprinted forward using the speed in his long legs, Sasuke a mere second behind him. The Uchiha slightly cringed from feeling the air whisking against his bleeding arm, but paid no heed. It was flesh wound, it would heal, he had firmly convinced himself.

-

-

-

Sakura and Hinata stood perfectly still, both somewhat stunned at what had just happened. However, the midnight-haired maiden was the first to react, having darted towards the entrance of Tsunade's office without a second thought.

She halted in her steps at the entrance, turning her head over her shoulder as she had seen her pink-haired partner was not following. Instead, lavender eyes glimpsed upon Sakura walking steadily over to the folders, lifting the flap open somewhat as she glanced inside.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing?" she asked softly with a small, concerned frown.

The said woman did not answer immediately, but when her answer did come, it was short and almost inaudible.

"Hinata… these files… they're our files."

"What?" the Hyuuga asked in susurration, blinking.

"It's… our information…" continued the pink-haired woman, her tone oddly droned.

"Sakura-chan, we don't have time for this, they're getting away," Hinata tried to reason, her voice somewhat strained and fervent.

"…Right." Sakura shook her head, pastel pink tresses flying side by side. "We should go, then."

Hinata nodded briefly, her pale face still marred somewhat with a frown at her partner's odd behavior.

"Is – Is something on your mind?" she asked as the two dashed out of the room, running down the hallway.

"Just… what we were talking about earlier," Sakura replied truthfully, her tone wistful.

The midnight-haired pursed her lips for a moment before pointing her lavender gaze back ahead.

-

-

-

Naruto hastily drove another stolen vehicle wildly down the roads, swerving between cars that honked noisily at his reckless driving. But the blonde could care less, heading solely for their hotel room to gather their weapons as fast as they could (which could only take a few seconds, with their skills) before going back and searching out the targets to take them out.

Sasuke sat in the passenger seat, having been the one to drive if not for his injured arm, which he currently nursed. He had ripped a small cloth from the bottom of his pants, wrapping it around his bleeding arm to stop to stop the blood flow, and it had done just that.

Soon the two men arrived at the hotel where they sat, zipping inside and entering each respective room. Each men loaded several grenades, guns, and knives in the pockets of their thick, bulky motorcycle jackets. The hulky material was perfect, as it did not give away the imprint of the weapons through the fabric.

Meeting each other outside after a few brief moments, the two nodded at each other, entering their stolen automobile once more as Naruto drove back to Konoha High, having vaguely memorized how to get there.

"Be on guard," Sasuke murmured as the blonde parked the car hastily.

Naruto bobbed his head in a nod in brisk reply, his hand in his sleeve, which held a firearm inside if ever needed.

"We'll split up," the Uchiha spoke once more. "You take the higher grounds of the campus, I'll take the lower. The more ground we cover, the easier it will be to find out where the targets are hiding."

"Got it," Naruto replied brusquely before dashing away.

-

-

-

"Any sign of them?" Sakura asked in her earpiece, adjusting it slightly.

"No," Hinata's voice replied softly. "Any – Anything thing with you?"

The pink-haired woman shook her head, despite that the Hyuuga would not be able to see it. "Nothing."

"I'm – I'm sure Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san are sensible to not go to a place with many people, right?"

"I don't know, Hinata. They are mass murderers, would they care if they took down innocent people to get to us?"

"…Then, that means…"

Sakura nodded. "We need to find places where if they are searching for us, we won't hurt anyone nearby." She heard a muffled noise in the background. "Hinata, I'm not getting the greatest signal. I'm in the basement now, I'm turning off my earpiece."

Without waiting for a reply, the pink-haired woman took off the earphone, stuffing it in her shorts. With guarded emerald eyes, she glanced around her surroundings, keeping a defensive hold near her weapons inside her cloak to use if she found anything that alerted her senses.

The large, spacious area of the basement was eerily quiet, despite that it was built with thick concrete that it was practically like a secret room beneath the university, often overlooked by a majority of the students.

_((SFX: scatter scatter))  
_  
Sakura flinched when she heard scurrying nearby, but only to calm when she saw it was only mice scampering about. A hand pressed above her chest as she sighed, taking a few steps subconsciously backwards. Her body turned stiff when she felt her back come in contact with a toned torso.

Emerald eyes widened, and she immediately leaped forward, twisting on her heel to look at the person she had bumped in to. She bit her lower lip in anticipation, as her eyes came across the handsome, pale face and raven hair she desperately did not want to see. She forced her body to calm itself, regaining her serene composure.

"You couldn't hide forever, little blossom," Sasuke spoke lowly.

"I wasn't hiding," she snapped back, taking out a knife and thrusting it towards his direction.

Sasuke titled his head to the side, onyx eyes watching a few raven strands fall in front of his gaze as the dagger flew by, imbedding harshly against the wall as it bobbed in ricochet. "Hmph, not bad…"

He blinked, and soon found that she had moved from in front of him to behind him when he felt a gun pressed against his back.

"'Not bad'?" she mocked, her voice bittersweet. "You haven't seen anything yet, Sasuke_-kun_."

"Enlighten me."

His tone remained even, despite the barrel of the gun pressed against the spinal cord of his back.

"Last one standing wins," she whispered hotly against his ear. "Too bad, I think you just lost."

She shoved her uncertain and reluctant feeling to the farthest part in the back of her mind, her finger pulling back on the trigger.

* * *

**A/N:** I wanted to update quicker, but as you all know school is back, and high school is just piling on the homework. However, I'm trying to stay on top of it! That's the good news. I'm going to use any spare time I have, while trying to go back to normal sleeping hours (I have to deal with insomnia, ugh) to write, write, write, and keep up with a normal updating schedule.

The good news is, the next few chapters may be long. This chapter was supposed to have more to it, but then it would have gone _way_ too long, so I had to stop it, even though I didn't want to because I don't want to write so many chapters. Anyway, the upcoming chapters will be at least 15-20 pages each, my gut is telling me. ((scratches cheek)) I already have planned what I'm going to do, and I have to write all these action scenes (not my strong points, but I try!) and I have all this stuff I have planned for later on.

However, it could change, based on a **BRIEF POLL**:  
Do you guys want (or would you mind) if I put an _upcoming lemon_ between our favorite couple, SasuSaku? As I said, I already have things planned (I don't want to give much away) and I even already wrote the lemon, hahaha. So if you _do_ want a lemon then you would probably see a new chapter pretty soon, like in a week if I'm lucky and surviving all the homework and projects.

**Let me know in reviews,** and thank you for reading!


	14. Broken

**A/N:** Thank you for your feedback! A reviewer even suggested a _NaruHina _lemon, hahahaha. Oh, you guys…

Unless… you want one? Ah, I leave it up to you! Enjoy the chapter—including all the hardworking effort!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

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**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku. NaruHina.

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**Chapter 14 – Broken**

_((SFX: Bang!!))_

She had bit her lip, expecting to hear the clamor of the gunshot and the splurge of blood spraying against the floor from the fatal wound. However, when no such sound reached her ears, her senses were immediately alert.

It was then she became aware of the firm hold grasping her wrist, having prevented her from activating the generator to the bullet. Her body turned rigid from his icy touch, inwardly amazed at how fast he had moved, even faster than her speedy reaction.

Emerald eyes slowly, shakily lowered to the hand that grasped her wrist tightly, seeing it was connected to his right arm. Her eyes traveled upwards, falling upon his bicep that held a cloth bound tightly around his forearm. She could see the faint stain of blood against the material. Thick lashes blinked in comprehension, realizing that when she had shot him back in Tsunade's office, it had in fact grazed against his skin, the proof right before her very eyes.

"I don't lose."

At the sound of his low, guttural tone, Sakura snapped her jade gaze towards the Uchiha, her stare falling on the back of his spiky, raven hair, as she still remained placed behind him.

"What?"

"I said…" he began eventually, a moment of silence having taken place. She blinked, and held in a gasp when she saw Sasuke was no longer in front of her, but behind her, as she could feel him put an arm around her neck in a headlock, preventing her from moving from his steel tight grip. "…I don't lose."

Eyelids hooded over murky onyx eyes, his arm unconsciously tightening over the blossom-haired woman's swan-like neck. His hand rose, connected to the arm wrapped firmly around her neck, as the back of his index finger lightly, tauntingly, traced down the smooth skin of her porcelain cheek.

Sakura felt her body instantly freeze at this, as the feather light, sensual touch of his mere finger had sent small, distinct electrical shocks throughout her body. However, she tried her best to ignore the feeling, her jaw clenching as she began to slowly writhe her way out of his grip. She felt Uchiha's grip tighten on her in response to her discreet squirming, and she pursed her lips, her mouth set in a thin line as she deliberated a plan to get out of the headlock remaining around her neck, so she could get the upper hand.

Immediately one thought entered her mind, and she contemplated the idea for a few moments before deciding to act upon instinct and follow her plan. Moving her emerald eyes to the back of her head, she could feel Sasuke's intense stare on her, practically boring through the base of her skull.

Inconspicuously, she bent her knee backwards, bobbing it up and down a few times before aiming a firm kick—her endeavor meant for her foot to come in contact with his groin, which as the basic fact was known, was every man's weakness.

Upon having seen her knee lift, and then aim a sporty kick to strike him where it would hurt most, Sasuke immediately reacted. His hand shot down, grasping her ankle, but Sakura had taken the intervening moment between his free arm lowering to her ankle to yank herself out of his firm grip. With a simple yet blindingly fast twist, she felt her ankle released from the Uchiha's hold, for if he had kept his grip his wrist surely would have twisted to the point of possibly breaking it.

She felt her feet stumble a few times as she flung herself backwards, having moved too fast (even for her own rapid speed) to the point where she almost lost her balance. Quiet pants flew from her mouth, her big jade eyes slimming as she looked at the raven-haired man only a few yards away from her, whom at this point had his haunting onyx eyes fixed on her as well.

She stuck her hand in her utility belt, lined with multiple daggers, hand pistols and grenades. Discreetly she moved her other hand as well as both dug through her dangerous equipment, pulling out two grenades. She brought out one and held it in front of her crimson lips, purposely for Sasuke to see her teeth clenched around the safety cap before she tore it away from the explosive, softly clattering against the steel, concrete ground. Meanwhile, the other grenade placed in her opposite hand moved behind her back, her fingers swiftly snapping the safety cap off as the piece fell to the ground quietly.

Dark onyx eyes flashed as he watched her, tracing each movement carefully, keeping their penetrating gaze.

Moving deliberately slow, Sakura bent her knees, crouching defensively. Then, she thrust both explosives towards the Uchiha, darting to the side as she did so before dashing towards one of the many large steel pillars that supported the spacious basement of the university as its leverage.

Seeing the two bombs heading straight towards him rapidly, Sasuke immediately reacted. One hand flew up, catching the flying grenade as he hurled it towards the other bomb, causing the two to collide before whizzing off in different directions as the raven-haired male bolted from his position, flinging towards another cement column as he braced himself for the exploding impact.

_((SFX: beep… beep—BOOM!!))_

The area shook as emerald eyes shut briefly from the deafening blast, one hand firmly grasping the corner of the pillar as a mass of wind struck by Sakura, blowing her silky cherry pink tresses behind her. Eventually the harsh breeze died down as her hair flowed down, tumbling down her back gracefully.

She popped open one of her jade irises, peeking at her surroundings as she warily glanced around. She could see from the grenades that rubble lie on the floor, resulting in the cement ground becoming even coarser as plentiful pebbles littered across. Carefully, she moved a few steps, assessing each move in her mind vigilantly.

Onyx eyes shifted back and forth, darting from side to side as he glimpsed around. He reached inside his bulky jet-black jacket, taking out a hand pistol as his other hand deposited bullets inside the barrel. Squatting low, his feet carried him across the underground room in blinding speed, searching for his sole target.

_((SFX: whiz!!))_

Immediately his head snapped towards the source of the sound, a silver knife reflecting off his dark obsidian orbs, aimed directly between his eyes expertly. He ducked down, extending his arm out as he did so, his finger pulling back on the trigger of his gun without hesitation as a bullet sprang out.

The shot embedded into the solid column, effectively creating a deep crack as Sakura felt her breath hitch in her throat, forcing herself to hold it to prevent the gasp that would have followed when she saw the tip of the bullet edge through the pillar.

She slowly edged away from the bullet before she saw a blur of black before her, and the next thing she knew her back was pressed against the wall with Sasuke's face a mere inches from hers. Despite feeling her body flinch at the close proximity, she willed her hands to move and push herself away from him—only to find that she couldn't do so, as he had pinned her wrists above her head, preventing her from moving her arms.

Her jaw clenched tight with an audible _click_, her molars gritting against one another. "Ugh, damn you!" she ground out through compressed teeth, emphasizing each word as she squirmed to get herself free. She missed the twists of his face at her wriggles, especially how his eyes trailed down her body licentiously before snapping up to her face. "Damn you to hell!"

"Too late for that."

She grumbled at his answer, sending a fierce scowl towards him. She lifted her lower body by curling it towards herself, and with force as strong as a horse's strike, she outspreaded her legs, aimed to kick the Uchiha to release his hold on her. He jerked backwards, but even though his grasp on her remained, his grip had lightened ever so slightly in reaction to his body's sudden movement. Using that to her advantage, Sakura wrenched herself away from him, thrusting a powerful punched aimed squarely for his face.

Seeing this from his peripheral vision, Sasuke caught her hand, using his other free hand to clench his fingers into a fist before aiming it to plunge into her stomach. However, her other hand caught his strike as well, and her leg lifted with her foot stabbing straight into his abdomen.

The strength of the blow caused the Uchiha to falter backwards a few feet, but not without bringing the pink-haired woman with him, having not relinquished the hold encased over her as he pulled her with him. Her body flung towards him with widening emerald eyes, and Sasuke used that moment to toss her over him, sending her flying towards a pillar.

Sakura twisted her body to land on her feet against the side of the pillar, lightly wincing as the pain shot from her feet to her brain at the vigor of the collision. She felt gravity work as the heels of her feet connected with the stone ground, her body bent over with her left palm pressed against the floor. Her head was still held upright, looking straight ahead of her with eyebrows knitted together crossly, quiet pants escaping from her mouth.

Large sea green irises saw Sasuke's form crouched over, watching him slowly straighten himself up as his back was facing her. She glimpsed him crane his neck over his shoulder, silky raven bangs making his dark onyx eyes look impossibly darker as his eyes shifted to the right, looking directly at her.

Emerald eyes squinted at this before she pushed herself off the hind of her legs, dashing towards him speedily as one hand dug in her utility belt discreetly, fishing out another grenade. With a soft _click _the safety cap fell as she continued sprinting.

Once in front of him, Sakura used her free hand divert his attention by springing a punch towards him. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized she had missed seeing Sasuke take out a knife, having twirled it expertly around his fingers before slapping her hand away with his wrist and aiming the sharp dagger directly towards her stomach, the dim light of the basement reflecting off the tip dangerously.

Sucking her stomach in, she saw the blade swipe across her tank top, managing to tear it only to reveal her smooth, flat stomach as the knife grazed along her porcelain skin. A thin streak of blood followed the jagged slash, but Sakura ignored it, continuing with what she was previously going to do as she placed the ticking grenade on the collar of Sasuke's jet-black v-neck shirt, having hooked it by the explosive's handle against the neckline.

Seeing this with his head angled down, onyx eyes widened slightly.

_((SFX: beep—beep—beepbeepbeepbeep—BOOM!!))_

With her arms crossed in front of her face, emerald eyes shut tight, her body flying backwards as Sakura choked out a gasp feeling her back colliding with a solid column. She could feel the shaking surroundings around her as more rubble fell about her, the cracks around her causing granite pieces to fall into her hair and about her. The thick, cloudy dust fogged the basement and Sakura felt herself mentally recoil. Her jade eyes shifted around the area, having found no sign of Sasuke, at all.

She slowly let a shaky breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She had done it. She had killed her target. Her objective had been reached—all that was left was for Hinata to take out Naruto, and their mission would be complete. Her eyelashes lowered over her distinct emerald eyes. She had done what she was told—so why did she feel remorse pooling in her stomach?

"I told you."

Her body visibly jumped, her mouth fell open to scream in astonishment, but she felt a large, rough hand press over her lips, preventing her shriek, along with the cold, icy touch of steel metal pressed against her neck.

"I told you…"

She heard the low, husky voice from behind her, hot breath fanning her earlobe. The palm against her lips slowly lifted, only to see the arm wound in front of her, constricting her arms to her sides, the bicep flexing from the movement. It was then Sakura became conscious of her back being pressed against a firm chest.

"…I don't lose."

She felt as though she had lost control of her voice. To control her thumping heartbeat, which Sakura was sure Sasuke could feel with his arm pressed so firmly against her upper body, jade eyes closed for a briefly. She opened them after a concise moment, thick lashes hovering over her sea green irises, causing her eyelids to be half-lidded. She was still fully aware of the sharp dagger pressed closely to her neck, to her pressure point.

"…Tell me, if you want me dead, Sasuke-kun…" His name was said mockingly sweet, yet her voice was coated with seething venom. "…Why did you save me from that truck, back then?"

Being pressed so close to him, Sakura felt him tense, even if it was barely there. She knew if she weren't pushed so intimately against him, she probably wouldn't have noticed his uptight muscles, and knew from his reaction that he knew what she was speaking of.

"You could have easily left me for dead, hell, that would have made your job a lot easier, wouldn't it have?" She continued slowly, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. Her mouth curved upwards in an acerbic, yet beautiful, smile. "And here, I thought you actually _cared _for me…" Dipping her head low, she closed her eyes, shaking her head side to side in sarcastic disappointment. "I was so wrong, wasn't I—?"

For a nanosecond, she felt the weight pressed behind her leave, only to snap her large sea green irises open only to see Sasuke now in front of her. She felt her breath hitch in her throat, feeling her back crash roughly into the wall once more. She couldn't stop her eyes from widening at this in reaction, openly staring at the Uchiha who had pinned her arms across each other above her head for a second time, holding her wrists firmly in his large hand. She felt herself unconsciously shiver when she saw how dangerously close his face was to her, his head tilted ever so slightly to the right side.

"There's no such thing as trust, that's what I grew up by," he whispered brashly to her, his hot breath fanning her lips. "Think what you want—"

"You—You're trying to kill me!" she screeched back at him after blinking her eyes furiously a few times. "_How_ can you care about someone whose life is going to be taken by _your _hands?"

"You tell me," he retorted sharply in a hiss.

Her body turned rigid. Onyx eyes slimmed at this, but he continued, nonetheless.

"…I know you don't want to do this, Sakura—"

"Shut up!" she shrieked in immediate response. "I… I—" she stammered, biting her lower lip, averting her gaze by looking over his broad shoulder, her eyes darted to a corner as she stared at the floor. Sasuke found his eyes being drawn to her soft, supple scarlet lips, watching as her front upper teeth gnawed them sensuously. Sakura caught his licentious stare, feeling her cheeks flush hotly from the intensity of his eyes. "Sa… Sasuke—"

She couldn't finish, as a ravenous, voracious mouth crushed against hers.

-

-

-

Lavender eyes glanced around her surroundings.

Hinata had searched the upper floors of the Konoha University building, as she knew that Sakura was searching the bottom. After probing diligently for any sign of Naruto, Hinata felt some relief and disdain when finding no sign of him. Some disdain, because she wanted to make sure he wasn't hurting anyone if (or, _while_, as Hinata was sure was looking for her to) he was desperately trying to seek her out. Yet, she felt relief as well, for she did not want to fight the man she had begun to grow caring towards.

Her feet carried herself out of the building, walking against the soft grass sprouting from the ground. The last place she hadn't checked was the gym, which was conveniently located next to the field placed a few yards away from the university. She doubted that she would find him there, but she knew she was bound to check.

_((SFX: creak…))_

Slowly, the door craned, unlocked, as a small hand prodded it open. Cautiously, using the tip of her feet, she stepped inside. Veins appeared on either side of her eyes as she closed them for a moment, only to open briefly later, revealing her bloodline trait _Byakugan. _She had not known of the feature until one day, while Sakura and her were training with Anko (under brutal circumstances, as it was every day) her eyes had transformed into her bloodline limit upon her body having sensed danger. Ever since, slowly but surely, she became custom to how it worked, and gradually was able to use it masterly.

With the Byakugan enhancing her eyesight, Hinata glanced around, having reached the middle of the college gym as she planted her feet against the ground, standing. Turning her head left to right, she glanced around the area for any sight of the blond mass murderer. Upon seeing nothing, nor sensing another presence in the place, Hinata turned on her heel as she began to walk out of the gym. Closing her eyes, she deactivated her unique bloodline trait, a soft sigh of relief flowing from her lips.

"It's rude to turn your back on someone, you know."

Hinata flinched.

"Hyuuga is a noble name in Konoha, right? I'd figure one would know all about _manners_."

She whipped around, lavender eyes widening slightly. "Na—Naruto-kun…"

The said male slowly stalked towards her, coming out from the shadows of the gym. Naturally, her Byakugan would have seen him, thus her mind concluded he must have just gotten there.

Which was the truth, little did she know. As Hinata searched for Naruto, Naruto had done the same, not knowing that with everywhere the Hyuuga had just left, the blond would show up a few mere minutes later—having just barely missed her—such as what was happening presently. He had slipped inside the school gym when he felt the soft footsteps of a person, knowing from the light steps that it must have belonged to a woman, and therefore went inside, finding the girl he had been looking for.

"It all comes out, huh?" the male assassin spoke quietly, unlike his usual loud demeanor. "You… really _are _trying to kill me, Hinata…"

The said girl felt an unconscious frown cross her face. She softly replied, "Just as you are me, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto leaned his head back, his face slightly appalled. "But—But why me? Did I do something to you?" He took a tentative step forward, frowning when he saw her reflexively step backwards. She was only a few feet away from him, yet her presence felt so, so far. "Did I… Did I hurt you?"

"Not me…" she murmured in reply. Her lavender eyes faltered from his cerulean stare, lowering to his feet. "But… everyone you killed, and their families."

Azure irises narrowed. "You're taking their revenge?"

She looked back up at him. "I—" she bit her lip, once again facing the floor. "…Yes."

"So, you want to do this? You _want _to see me dead, by your own hands?"

Hinata shut her eyes at his words. She inhaled short, quick breaths. "Yes…"

Her voice cracked somewhat. Naruto perceived this with his sharp hearing, and his ears perked. His eyebrows furrowed.

"You're lying. Why are you lying to me?"

Her eyes snapped open once more, thick eyelashes hovering over lavender irises as the midnight-haired maiden shook her head leisurely, slowly reaching into her utility belt, which slanted against her tiny waist. She was fully aware—and could practically _feel_—his sharp cobalt eyes tracing her every move diligently.

"Please," she whispered, closing her eyes completely as her head titled downwards, her fingers still probing in the belt. Naruto couldn't distinguish what she was searching for from the position of her hand, nor did he know what was inside the pockets. His pupils widened slightly when he saw her take out a BB gun, and she pointed it with her extended arm, directly at him. "…Don't take this the wrong way." She closed her eyes.

And her finger pulled back on the trigger.

_((SFX: Bang!!))_

The bullet sprang out in lighting speed.

Naruto stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Not for long, though, as his instincts kicked in, his body acting on it's own accord as he barely dodged out of the way, rolling on the ground before flinging himself vertically, standing on one of the levels in the bleachers.

She was serious, his mind concluded. Who would be joking with a fully loaded BB gun pulled out, aimed directly towards you, with a bullet striving to pierce your heart? Naruto shook his head vigorously side to side. His stomach churned and twisted at the thoughts.

He was a mass murderer, yes, and looked to the idea of killing mercilessly when it came to a male target. However, he was dealing with a girl. A woman. A _female._ He always did have a soft spot for women, why, he didn't know. He just did. And so, when him and Uchiha were assigned female targets, Naruto would charm them, yes, but would normally leave it to Sasuke to dispose of them. However, he'd be lying if he said that his hands had never been stained with the blood from a woman, for when Sasuke—during certain circumstances where he was preoccupied with his own target (as sometimes they would be assigned with more than one target, as the case was now)—Naruto knew he had a job to do, and would kill the target. But, he'd be lying; too, if he alleged that he felt no guilt.

Which was currently why he was fighting a mental battle with himself whether to seriously kill Hinata or not. With the other female targets, he would normally push his uneasiness aside. Though, when it came to the dark-haired maiden, Naruto found it odd that he was struggling with the topic so much.

He then realized that, unlike the other targets, the blond had unknowingly begun to grow somewhat attached to Hinata. He was used to her shy mannerisms, her little timid quirks, her genuinely kind characteristics. He had grown accustomed to _her_, in general, he apprehended. He knew that's why he didn't want to kill her. Hell, he didn't even want to hurt her.

Little did he know that Hinata across from him was thinking the very same.

A stilling silence took place in the thick, tension-filled air. Then, someone moved.

Hinata's body tensed, seeing as Naruto had moved so blindingly fast he seemed to vanish into thin air.

_((SFX: bang!!))_

The ringing sound of a shot firing clanged in the ears of the Hyuuga, her head immediately jerking to the right, towards the basis of the reverberation. She didn't move— in part because her body was stunned, too numb from an overwhelm of emotion to react. Her lovely lavender irises fluttered to a close, awaiting the impact. She felt nothing. Opening her eyes at this, she looked down, a somewhat perplexed expression crossing her pale face.

She saw the bullet embedded a mere half-inch away from the tip of her foot. The ground was cracked from the force of the shot implanted in the concrete.

A warning shot.

That's all it was.

Just then Hinata felt a pair of arms wrap around her body from behind, but it wasn't in an affectionate manner. No, she knew this as she felt her front practically slam against the wall, her face forced to face the side with her cheek pressed against the cold wall. She knew it was Naruto behind her, knew it was him that was grabbing hold of her wrists and holding them together, pulling her arms backwards, forcing them to extend.

"Tell me why."

The Hyuuga flinched, having heard Naruto's deadly low voice sound from just below her earlobe. She could feel her heartbeat race at the close proximity, unable to see the mellifluous blond bangs hiding cerulean eyes with a dark expression on his whiskery face. Hinata tried to look at him, but found she couldn't as Naruto unconsciously pushed her further against the wall.

"Why… are you _lying_ to me?"

From the sound of his voice, the dark-haired maiden could tell he was speaking through clenched teeth, speaking so guttural it almost sounded inaudible.

Hinata felt her heart drop at his tone. He was clearly upset—no, _furious _with her. And she painfully knew there was nothing she could do to ease his fuming. After all, she was practically feeling the same.

She didn't want to hurt him. But she had convinced herself, firmly, ever since she spoke with Tsunade on the phone. She had sternly told herself, mentally, over and over again:

_Duty before honor. Obligation before morality._

Naruto thought simultaneously as he felt his grasp on her wrists involuntarily tighten. The phrases were what had been taught—no, _drilled in_—to both Naruto and Sasuke's minds, to their subconscious even, as they trained under the vicious conditions of Akatsuki.

Kakashi had reminded them of the "rule" as well, but had stated that "teamwork" and "looking out for each other," as both boys were already partnered together at fifteen, would result in the success of the annihilation mission, and were more important than setting aside your ethics for the sake of assignment.

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts when he briefly caught a movement from Hinata, but had realized too late as she kicked the heel of her foot into his stomach. The blond keeled over from the force of her strike, just as powerful (possibly more, even) than the punch she had given him back in the principal's office.

With one arm over his bruised abdomen, the other went to his mouth, catching the sticky red liquid spewing from his mouth as he coughed out the blood clogging his throat.

_Damn she's strong_, he thought to himself as he wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. For such a tiny frame, the girl held a colossal amount of power.

Almost immediately he whirled around 180 degrees, having managed to get a small pocketknife out of his bulky black jacket as he held it in the air.

_((SFX: clang!!)_

As expected, he held back the dagger of Hinata that was aimed for his throat, the blades crossing in an 'x' form as both owners' hands shook from each strength trying to overpower the other.

Cerulean eyes narrowed as he pushed forward—having bent back his upper body slightly to slightly dodge the incoming slash from the knife—as he pressed Hinata forward, managing to get her to stumble a few steps back. Naturally, as he was a man, he was stronger than her petite form, as he had managed to subdue her.

His body towered over hers, but he could see that Hinata wasn't willing to back down, his proof sighting before his very eyes as he saw the knuckles—flexing against her hand as she held the dagger—tighten, turning pallid with her force.

He saw a bead of sweat roll down from her temple to the curve of her jaw, sliding down her neck to her heaving chest as she panted quietly. Naruto visibly swallowed, having followed the droplet of liquid until it disappeared under the upper cloth of her tank top.

_Damn, damn, damn—_

He couldn't stop his eyes from wandering now. He was still a hot-blooded male, not to mention he was only eighteen, which meant hormones continued to rampage inside of him. His azure irises took in the sight of her alluring figure beneath the (to him now) minimal amount of clothing donned on her body.

He noticed her speedy movements must have caused her shirt to crinkle as the spaghetti straps almost hung off her shoulders, causing the tank top to slant to one side, revealing only some cleavage (her long, glossy raven hair concealing the other half), but the vision alone was enough to make him turn rigid. From the view, the blond could see she had a quite large bosom, the fleshy mounds naturally pressing against one another. He would have blushed at the sight—even though, sure, he had seen women's bare chests before, but none as tempting as _hers_—but he felt all his blood rush to his groin. He gulped once more as he saw her black tank top lift ever so slightly as she shifted (to press more force into her dagger still crossed with Naruto's), revealing the flat, smooth plane of her stomach.

Then his eyes lowered to her tiny yet curvy waist, followed by the small black shorts put on her lower body. His azure eye twitched. Her legs were nice and long, her thighs pale yet creamy. His other free hand jerked, his fingers yearning to run his hand along her light skin, absentmindedly wondering if her legs felt as silky as it looked.

A fresh, hot blush coated Hinata's cheeks. She had just seen the way Naruto had looked at her, the intensity building in his eyes as he traced her body. The Hyuuga suddenly felt self-conscious, not used to being so closely scrutinized. Sure, she had seen men turn their faces as she walked by—but always assumed it was to look at Sakura, whom was always with her, as the pink-haired woman was quite a sight as well.

But, the _way _Naruto had looked at her… Hinata felt herself shiver. He looked at her as though he was a predator, and she was his prey. So… _heatedly_. Her body shuddered once more.

She didn't see how Naruto visibly froze at her tremble.

Hinata shook her head. This couldn't continue any longer. She was meant to _annihilate _him, not stand and let him… _ogle _her! And so she moved, raising her leg to land a firm kick to his side.

At her movement, Naruto seemed to almost instantly snap out of his trance-like state. With his free hand (as one was still being used holding a pocketknife to hold back the Hyuuga's dagger) he caught her kick, only to see her twist her body (releasing the scalpel against the blond's blade as she did so) only to raise her other leg to aim squarely to the side of his face.

Her kick was speedy, and Naruto ducked, feeling his hair being swished to the side from her foot as he had barely missed her strike.

Seeing as her hit had missed, Hinata yanked her leg away from the blond-haired murderer's grasp, moving a few feet backwards as her feet skidded against the concrete, palm against the floor, her body moving in reverse. Dipping her hand in a back pocket of her utility belt, the Hyuuga fished out two stilettos, holding the blades between her fingers. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she snapped open lavender irises as she chucked the weapons downwards, aiming specifically for the baggy fabric hanging around the ankles of Naruto's dark pants.

The blond had seen this, and he had turned to dodge—but her toss was quick, and managed to catch one of his legs. This halted his movement, and he turned his body and lowered himself to free himself from the blade.

_((SFX: beep—beepbeepbeepbeep—!!))_

Snapping his head upwards, blond bangs fringed against distinct cerulean eyes. When he had turned to take the knife out of the fabric of his pants, he had not seen Hinata take out a grenade, having removed the safety cap with her teeth as she sprinted towards him and then threw the ticking time bomb.

_((SFX: beepbeep—BOOM!!))_

The Hyuuga's body was flung backwards, arms in an 'x' in front of her face with eyes closed as she was pushed back from the exploding force. Smoky dust filled the area as she coughed the thick gray powder congesting her throat, able to hear boards from the ceiling of the gym fall with a _clang _as it collided the ground.

Eventually, the smoke cleared, and Hinata felt her back collide with the steel of the wall as she sagged against it.

Her body tensed.

Slowly, her lavender eyes moved to the right, where a dagger was embedded deep in the wall, a split immediately resulting from the force of the toss as the crack grew with a sickening breaking sound. The knife vibrated in ricochet from the impact of the wall.

Gradually her mauve irises moved forward, seeing Naruto leisurely walk through the thick dust that remained. The back of his hand was wiping the dirt smudge off his jaw, the rest of the smog darkening his tan face as a heavy scowl was set in expression.

Hinata hadn't realized she had been panting, from fatigue from her efforts but also from her tense body, as she could see the blond across from her panting as well, but discreetly as his mouth didn't seem as though it were open, but she could tell from seeing his chest heave up and down with each breath.

A frown marred her pretty, pale face, looking at the sight of the mass killer as rubble and broken boards surrounded his form.

Naruto squinted his eyes at the sad expression etched across the Hyuuga's face.

"…It doesn't have to be like this," she spoke softly, her voice gentle. "I don't want to have to go through with this… I—"

"Bullshit!" Naruto interrupted her, not giving a damn for doing so. His molars scraped against one another. "You just tried to fucking kill me just now!"

Her frown deepened. "If I _really _was trying to kill you… I would have set the grenade sooner—"

"Enough!" At her reason, the blond's fists had clenched tightly, compressing so hard his knuckles began to turn pallid white. His arms shook vigorously. "Don't distract me with those _lies_—"

"But they aren't lies," she whispered back to him, her tone twisting into a soothing one. "I've…" she bit her lower lip, staying quiet for a moment before continuing. "I've grown… fond of you, Naruto-kun—"

"Don't call me that!" he yelled back at her. "You think _love _is something I'm used to having? Well, you're wrong!" His head shook roughly, blond bangs whisking side-to-side before hovering over his eyes, azure irises shutting tight. His molars grit harshly against one another, speaking through clamped teeth, "And to think, I was having second thoughts about this… about having to _hurt_ you…!"

Lavender eyes widened immensely, still biting her lip as her façade seemed pained. Hesitantly, she slowly stepped forward. Her lips parted to speak, but his voice interrupted her.

"Don't."

His voice was eerily low, dark, ominous.

The very sound of it made Hinata tremble.

"Don't come closer."

A hand clutched in front of her chest, and she took another tentative step forward.

"I _said_…" his head, that had been titled downwards, moved upwards. "_Don't. Come. Closer_."

Hinata froze.

He was staring at her now. His eyes locked with hers, but they weren't the deep blue color. They were menacingly red, practically glowing in the dim lighted area, blood lust radiating from the very look alone. His face—detached, merciless—resembled that of a ruthless mass murderer.

The girl felt her body trembling more now. The sight was terrifying.

Lavender eyes watched as Naruto reached inside his large, bulky jacket, taking out a Echo 1 Airsoft gun. Her eyes inexplicably expanded—she didn't even know he was carrying such a deadly weapon as powerful as it was, but then again, she did not know what was in that hulking coat of his.

The corner of his mouth rose in a wicked grin as the blond pointed the gun forward, his thumb on the trigger with his other hand holding the base of the firearm. Then he titled the revolver upwards, and then unleashed a barrage of bullets.

_((SFX: bangbangbangbangbang—!!))_

Hinata winced slightly at the deafening sound. Naruto seemed to be enjoying the reverberations.

More boards fell to the floor or loosened from the bombardment of ammunition before the assassin halted his shootings, pointing the gun forward, aiming it directly towards the Hyuuga.

She heard the gun _click _with freshly loaded bullets. Her gaze lowered to his thumb, which remained on the trigger.

She watched him pull it back.

Her legs jumped. Immediately she dashed away, sprinting towards the bleachers as she saw him turn, following her movements. Because she was moving swiftly and speedily, the shots mostly missed, but still grazed along her skin but nothing too serious. Hinata knew she would have to tend to the wounds later, making sure she was protecting all her critical areas.

Finally she managed to make it to the bleachers, ducking behind it as she eventually heard the firing bullets cease gradually. She took shaky, shallow breaths as she heard footsteps, almost tauntingly leisure, approaching her. Her body turned rigid—she was beginning to feel weak, as the bullets that had scraped against her skin were beginning to bleed, as the sticky crimson liquid began pooling around her feet from the numerous wounds.

She winced when she felt a harsh grip on her forearm, tearing her away from her hiding space before being roughly shoved towards the center of the gym. Her body fell against the floor on her side, and her eyes shut tight when she heard a gunshot. The sound echoed in her ears. Hinata figured she was too numb from her numerous injuries to feel the bullet in her body.

But then she heard the creak above her. She saw a loose board wriggling, and then it fell, causing others to fall along with it. Her lips parted in shock, but her body was not letting he move. The planks covered most of her body, leaving room for just barely her shoulder blades as her front was now pressed against the floor, securely trapped. The pressure against her chest caused her lungs to feel tightened, and her breathing began to turn irregular and ragged.

One arm was encased beneath the timber, but the other was bent in front of her, her fingers enclosed in a fist with one lavender eye open, glossy raven hair falling around her.

She saw Naruto's expression twist, blond bangs hovering over his eyes once more before he shook his head, looking back up revealing his original cobalt irises. He glanced around, soon finding Hinata ensnared beneath the boards.

His first instinct was to go over and help her, immediately, as he knew the force of the slats was cutting off her normal circulation.

But then he remembered—he had a job to do. Her being trapped just made his effort easier, because she could no longer resist.

And so, with a heavy frown, he slowly approached her. Cerulean eyes watched her stare up at him with a wary, guarded expression, and his frown deepened. Slowly, he reached into his jacket. He brought out a grenade, and brought it up to his teeth. The safety cap fell to the floor, forgotten, with a _clank_. He saw her expression visibly change as she watched him, twisting into one of fright, and found he couldn't stand to look at her in that state.

"No…" he heard her whisper.

Without looking at her, as he couldn't bring himself to, Naruto bent down, placing the bomb a few feet beside her. He glimpsed her body beginning to wriggle, struggling in futile to get out of her danger. The blonde shut his eyes tight, turning on his heel with his back facing her. He began to take a few steps away.

_((SFX: beep… beep…))_

He heard her panicky whimpers, hearing her murmur over and over to herself, "No, no, please… I… I don't want to die…!" He perceived the sound of boards shifting, but barely, and he could imagine her continuing to squirm in vain.

Guilt was beginning to plague his conscience as he continued walking forward. His knuckles clenched tight once more, teeth gritting against one another, eyes squeezing tautly.

_No… _He froze in his next step. _I… just can't let her…!_

He pivoted to the opposite direction. His mind comprehended that he couldn't do it, he couldn't leave her behind, for he didn't want to hurt her, and didn't give a damn about the consequences he knew he'd suffer for his actions. Without another thought, he dove back for her—

_((SFX: beep—beepbeepbeepbeep—ka-boom!!))_

"NO!"

The whole gymnasium shook from the blast of the ticking time bomb. Thick, smoky dust filled the air of the spacious area. The bleachers, floorboards, court—all disintegrated to mere rubble, with only broken wooden planks, poles, and construction boards lying around in mere pieces.

"Hinata! HINATA!"

Fear and panic engulfed Naruto as he called for the girl's name frantically. His eyes searched every space, every corner, every inch—fearing for the worst, though he tried to think of the positives. He dreaded the thought of actually killing her—and although he had completed his mission, he realized it was not what he wanted.

The blond stepped around the ruins of the floor, bending over as he hauled pieces of boards over his shoulder, beginning his search for the dark-haired maiden. He dug through everything and anything he could find, and after ten minutes of unrelenting searching, he finally found her.

She was buried beneath all the debris of the gym, beams and poles mostly constricting her body to the wreckage left of the floor. Only a part of her neck, her face, and elbow wasn't compressed beneath the boards and planks around her.

Naruto grit his teeth, immediately rushing over to her as he hurled all the ruins off of the Hyuuga. Once finishing doing so, he instantaneously gathered her up in his arms, worry building in his cerulean eyes as Hinata's skin was sickeningly pale, her eyes closed with her lips parted slightly, her body unmoving. Her head lolled back against his arm.

"Hinata! Hinata!" he called for her over and over, gently shaking her, his other hand gently patting the side of her face. "Come on, wake up! Don't go to the light! Stay with me!"

Panic began to rise in him when she remained unmoving.

"Hinata…! _Hinata!" _

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wow, I have school tomorrow, and it's currently one in the morning. This chapter took so much effort, you have no idea. I seriously spent probably over eight hours writing it. Not today, though. Today I spent like three. Yesterday I wrote from two to eight or something. Okay, maybe that's over eight hours… :P

Fight scenes are hard, guys! So sorry if mine's not the best. Just to let you know, next chapter begins with Sasuke and Sakura, and then resumes where we left our Naruto and dead Hinata. (le gasp)

Please review, feedback is really appreciated!


	15. Shattered

_Warning: Mature Content_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? SasuSaku. NaruHina.

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Shattered**

His mouth crashed down hungrily on hers, his head slanting to the side as one of his hands tightly grasped the side of her face. Emerald eyes widened, her mouth open in shock as Sasuke took the opportunity to dip his tongue inside. He moved his tongue around, ravishing her mouth, probing in her caverns and running over the rows of her teeth.

She couldn't push him away, as the little voice in her head kept urgently ordering her to do. She couldn't, because Sasuke kept the hold of his hand on both of her wrists, which were currently pinned and crossed over each other above her head.

Eventually, dark jade orbs came to a close. A deep moan escaped her throat from his fervent actions. She felt Sasuke slowly ease the firm grip on both of her hands above her, and instead of pushing him off as her subconscious screamed at the now given opportunity, her hands roamed along his shoulders before tightly gripping his firm biceps as her lips sloped over his.

One of the Uchiha's hands ran through her silky pastel pink tresses, grasping chunks in his fingers as the other remained on the side of her face. Their tongues continued to swerve along side each other as Sakura sensuously rolled her hips forward, grinding against him. She could feel him growl against her lips.

Soon both lungs burned for air, and Sasuke released her juicy mouth. However, he didn't take a break in proceedings, trailing hot kisses down her neck as the hand on her face slid down to her neck. Sakura panted, squeezing his forearms tighter from his actions. Her eyelids drooped to a close as he sucked the juncture where her neck and shoulder meet, his tongue and teeth lavishing the ivory skin.

Her head tilted to the side, allowing him more access to her neck, which his mouth greedily took. Her lips parted, hung open in gulps of air with her eyes closed in pleasure; her head leaned back as her long pink hair cascaded down her back.

Both Sasuke's hands released the hold on her silky pink locks and neck, sliding down swiftly and firmly before it rested on both her sides. Then he raised them back up, skimming over the rip towards her stomach area (having slashed it across in their earlier fight) before moving towards the center of her torso as they reached her firm breasts. His fingertips squeezed and kneaded the soft flesh through the thin fabric of her tank top as more moans began spilling from Sakura's mouth.

A faint smirk grew on his face—he could feel she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Ahh… Sas_uke_…" the woman whimpered when she felt his hands release her bosom, only to slide off the straps of her thin tank top and raise it over her head, tossing the article of clothing carelessly aside.

He leaned back for a moment to take in the sight. He smirked wickedly at the display of her full, round breasts before his smoldering, hungry onyx eyes. He leered up at her, his gaze coming in contact with her dazed emerald ones. Her hair was tangled and disheveled, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink as her lovely scarlet lips continued panting like a dog, then mewling like a cat when his hands resumed their previous position, fondling her full, naked breasts as they tweaked her hardened peaks. He smirked upon seeing her throw her head back and forth, her eyes rolling to the back of her head in pure ecstasy.

"We… you—mm, you, _nn—_you… have to st—stop…" she panted, feeling his arms lift her body by placing his hands under her taut rear before lowering it, his knee nudged against her center. Her legs dangled on either side, her back pressed firmly against the wall.

"We… we shouldn't be doing… this—_ohh_!"

She tossed her head back once more when his searing mouth engulfed a rosy bud. His teeth scraped against the sensitive flesh as his tongue circled around it, followed by a firm suck. His fingers continued massaging it's opposite mound, rubbing and squeezing the tender nipple in his fingertips as more lovely mewls escaped Sakura's lips. Her back arched against him, and she could feel Sasuke smirk against her smooth skin. Her head titled backwards, and she felt the back of her skull come in contact with the hard concrete of the wall.

"Mm—_ahh_…" She rolled her hips forward once again, her center between her legs rubbing against the knee propped between them, grinding against the fabric of the dark pants Sasuke wore. "This… isn't ri-_right_—" She panted as a throaty groan escaped the raven-haired male's mouth from the friction when she rubbed against him once more subconsciously.

His mouth and hands stopped ravishing her chest, lifting his head to look her directly in the face. Dark, smoldering onyx eyes peered at her through the thick, silky raven bangs. His head was slanted, his hot breaths panting against her ear lobe.

"You don't seem to be making an effort in stopping me, Sakura."

He whispered brashly in her ear before the said woman felt him breathe heavily against the side of her face. Dark jade eyes shut tightly at the tone of his voice. Sakura bit her plump lower lip, not caring that it was swollen, not caring that she was currently topless and pressed intimately against him.

She didn't care, because his low, rich, husky voice was so scandalously sexy that it threw her off edge. How could something so wrong, feel so right? Here she was, only a few moments away from having both his and her lustful desires and sexual tension released—when he was the _enemy_, and her task was to kill him—

It was when his tongue gave a teasingly slow lick to her earlobe before nipping it swiftly that she drew her out of her thoughts. She watched him lean his head back to look at her square in the face. His eyes were half-lidded, hooding over piercing ebony irises. The way he was looking at her, raven strands hanging over his devilishly glinting onyx eyes, the gratifying, powerful aura he was giving off—it was then she felt herself go over the edge with her growing hunger for him.

Her emerald eyes roamed from his face to his body, seeing his chest heaving up and down as she realized he was panting as well, knowing he was controlling himself from throwing her down and having his way with her. Absentmindedly she licked her lips, marveling at the way his v-neck shirt hugged his torso, showing the ripples of powerful muscles as his biceps flexed upon keeping his hold on either side of her.

Sasuke watched her yearning gaze, smirking vainly at the sight. As her eyes continued to wander, he pressed chaste kisses from her cheekbone to her jaw, trailing a little down her neck before going back up to her face. He kissed the corner of her mouth, and he watched how her eyes lifted to his smoldering stare, having caught her attention. He chuckled briefly at her hazy expression.

"Like what you see, _Sakura_?"

Her name rolled off his tongue smoothly like liquid velvet. It was then Sakura found herself grasping the collar of his v-neck, her hands fisting in the cloth as she brought his face down, pressing her lips hungrily against his. Sasuke leered almost instantly in the kiss, slanting his mouth expertly over hers.

Her teeth gnawed on his lower lip, moaning when she felt his hands grope her bare breasts once more. When she felt his tongue rub sensuously against hers, she teased him by flicking her own tongue against his. One hand still fisted in his collar, the other rose as her fingertips stroked down his chiseled cheekbones. She pulled back, his lower lip still caught between her teeth. Thick lashes fringed over her eyes as she looked up at him, desire glowing in her emerald orbs as he looked back at her with heavy-lidded eyes.

She released his mouth as the two panted heavily, their breath mingling with one another. As the two regained their breath, Sakura took the time to roam her fingertips luxuriously down the taut abs and pectorals she felt beneath her touch. She licked her lips once more, and Sasuke inwardly groaned at the simple, sexy movement, pressing a firm kiss to her juicy lips as she responded almost instantly, her lashes fluttering to a close.

Sakura rolled her hips forward once more, causing Sasuke to leer at the delicious friction. His hands grasped her hips firmly, removing the knee propped between her legs as he grinded his growing arousal against her, bulging through the silk fabric of his long, dark pants. The woman mewled at the contact, her hands flying and grasping his biceps firmly with a squeeze when he grinded against her once more.

One hand left her curved waist, tugging down the simple black shorts dawned on Sakura's lower body. As he tugged, the shorts merely slanted to the side, revealing a partial sight of a pair of lacy panties. Sasuke smirked at the blossom-haired woman's flushed face, watching her eyes close and her mouth open when he slipped his hand inside.

He rubbed her wet folds, teasing her by giving slow yet long strokes. She mewled softly when he stroked her once more, and could feel her growing impatience with his taunting fondles by her growing stiff squeezes on his forearms and the solid sucks on his neck.

"You want more, huh?" he whispered brashly, to which she sucked harder on his neck in response.

He grinned wickedly, unexpectedly plunging his middle finger in her burning core. Sakura released his neck, gasping as she threw her head back. He began an uneven pace, rolling his finger around in circles before getting out, creating a _squelch_ sound when he would unexpectedly stab his finger back in.

"You're already so wet for me, Sakura…" he murmured hotly in her ear, and the said woman bit her lip, feeling her cheeks flush even darker as her thick lashes hovered over her eyes.

She cried out when he added another large finger her hole, stretching her when he added a third, all at a racy, jagged tempo, which threw her off edge. He muffled her ecstasy-filled wails by crushing his mouth hungrily against her, gobbling at her lips. When he released her, he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head, her body coveted in blind salacity.

He continued fingering her, rubbing against her clit, and soon within a few minutes Sakura felt a wave of blinding pleasure engulf her body, her mouth moaning aloud as she came.

Her juices spilled into Sasuke's hand, and the Uchiha smirked. Withdrawing his hand from her panties, he grinned devilishly at her half-lidded emerald gaze, making sure she was watching him when he dipped the fingers coated with her fluids in his mouth, sucking as his tongue lapped at his fingers.

Sakura bit her lip at the sight—it was one of the most erotic things she had ever seen.

"Hmph, that didn't take long," the raven-haired male commented, giving his fingertip another firm suck before taking his hand out of his mouth.

His finger dipped down in her soggy panties, her shorts still slanted on one side showing her hipbone, as he rubbed his finger against her core once more. Sakura whimpered softly at the contact, watching with heavy-lidded eyes as he swiped his finger against her wet folds, bringing her juices covered on his finger once more before wrapping his tongue around it.

_Delicious…_

He gave her an alluring smirk.

"Now… just imagine if my _mouth _was down there…"

The pink-haired woman blushed hotly at his statement, and he leered at her, pressing another firm kiss to her lips. His tongue tangled with hers, and she could taste her fluids still freshly in his mouth.

"Take… off your shirt," she whispered against him when he leaned back, and it didn't take long for Sasuke to easily oblige. He stripped off the jet-black v-neck speedily, tossing it aside to join where Sakura's black tank top idly lay on the floor.

The woman licked her lips at the sight of sexy muscles on his smooth, pale skin, marred with a few scars. Swiftly, Sakura then reached her hand down, grabbing his length that continually bulged out of his pants. She felt Sasuke hitch his breath in his throat at the action, and the blossom-haired woman smiled sweetly at him. Her fingers bobbed up and down smoothly as she pressed wet kisses to his neck. Her other hand roamed along his chest, her fingertips pressing against his torso. As her hand continued its work on his arousal, she smiled, pleasantly listening to his groans at the contact of both her hands.

Her provocation was rising as she took in the surroundings. Some parts of the room held rubbish, blown to smithereens from their earlier fight. Both were coveted in a thin film of sweat, not only from their foreplay, but also from the former fight having taken place between them. Each sported a few cuts and bruises from each of their attacks, and of course, their clothes and hair were scruffy and tousled.

Her eyes widened somewhat as a sudden memory flashed across her eyes. Herself and Sasuke, having just left Naruto's room after discussing how the two had "ended up" unclothed in bed together. She remembered what he had whispered to her.

"_Besides, we'll have sex _more_ than once," _he had simpered as her cheeks flushed from the statement, bringing his head intimately close to hers. _"And we _won't_ be drunk, I assure you."_

She continued listening to the groans spilling from the Uchiha's mouth when she began squeezing and kneading his shaft. She looked up to his face, seeing he had tilted his head back and was panting. Her other hand, that had been roaming along his bare chest, rested against his shoulder as she leaned forward, firmly sucking the juncture where his neck and shoulder meet.

It was then Sasuke was brought back to his senses, almost instantly interpreting what her action meant. "You want to suck me?" he murmured to her gruffly. She responded with a harder suck, her tongue flicking across his salty skin.

He smirked at this, remaining perfectly still when her small hands clumsily undid his belt, followed by unbuttoning his pants. Once leaving him in only a pair of simple plaid boxers, having taken off her own small black shorts and panties absentmindedly as well and tossing it along with the heap of clothes stacking over one another, she smiled seductively at him.

He watched her with half-lidded eyes as her hands roamed along his chest, pressing kisses from his neck to his collarbone, then down his sexy trail of abs. When her grasp reached the waistband of his boxers, she pushed herself on her tiptoes to give him a sweet kiss as she swiftly tugged them down rapidly. At that moment, small flashes of their drunken sex from earlier hit her brain in remembrances, and her face naturally flushed.

His large erection bulged out, and Sakura gave him another heavy-lidded innocent smile, ironic for what she was about to do. Her hands gently, tenderly kneaded his shoulders before lowering down his upper torso. She kneeled before him, and Sasuke mentally smirked, admiring the way her breasts bounced when she propped herself on the floor.

Slowly, Sakura ran her tongue along the head of his manhood, emerald eyes glinting mischievously as she peered up at him. Her hand continued to pump him before she engulfed his shaft in her hot mouth. She smiled, hearing his breathing quicken, and there was a slight flush to his cheeks. Her tongue rolled around his length, her teeth scraping against it. Licking once more, she pulled him out of her mouth, running her hot, slick tongue along the sides of his groin before leaning her head back, licking her lips.

"Am I doing it right?" she asked with a tease, giving him an enticing smile as her fingers squeezed his shaft.

His head was still tilted back, and she watched his throat bob when Sasuke swallowed heavily. Her only response was his fierce panting.

Sakura laughed softly at this, taking him back in her mouth. She felt his hand lower to the back of her skull, grasping masses of pink tresses in his hold as he dipped her head against him. She almost gagged when he thrust into her mouth, against her tongue, as he went deep inside her throat. However, she got used to the pace, following his movements as her tongue rolled around his manhood.

His groans seemed to grow more fervent as his pants became wilder—all sounding like music to Sakura's ears as she smiled against him. She then felt his powerful hips buckle for a moment, and soon found him spilling his load into her mouth, leaving a salty taste behind as she greedily lapped up his fluids. She released his shaft out of her searing lips, wiping the corner of her mouth with the pad of her thumb as she smiled ironically innocently up at him once more, standing up.

"How was that, for being sober?" she whispered to him, kissing along his neck to his jaw line before murmuring hotly in his ear.

Onyx eyes opened, hooded under heavy-lidded eyelids. A faint smirk crossed his features, almost instantly knowing that she was referring to their drunken sex of before, where she had done the same thing.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," he muttered brashly in reply.

He firmly clutched both her hips, pushing her down as the rosette-haired woman's back came in contact with the pile of clothes on the ground, her lower body pressed against the cold concrete of the floor.

Sasuke kissed her hungrily, muffling the squeak he had made from his sudden movement. His tongue swerved in her mouth as Sakura pulled at the silky strands of his raven hair before raking down with her fingernails down his sculpted chest. Sasuke groaned at the contact, practically feeling the red marks form on his ivory skin from her scratches. She moaned as he sucked down her neck to her breasts, licking over the swells of her bosom to her hardened peaks briefly before returning to her full lips.

He muffled her scream with his wild kiss as he plunged unexpectedly into her. She arched her back, crying out when he released her lips as he began an unsteady, rough yet fast rhythm. Her fingers scraped along his bare chest and back, moaning as he pumped riotously in and out of her.

One hand went underneath her thigh, lifting it up and throwing it over his shoulder. Sakura panted as she looked at him, only to throw her head back and mewl loudly a few seconds later when he thrust deeper inside of her at a different angle from her leg over his broad shoulder.

His head was bent down in the crook of her neck as he pumped his length in and out of her silky tight core. He fucking loved how her muscles tightened around him, turning him on even more. She was so deliciously rigid it only increased his salacious desire. He kissed her porcelain swan-like neck, scraping it with his teeth, licking it with his tongue, sucking with his mouth. Onyx eyes roamed to her full breasts, bouncing from each of his powerful drills inside of her.

Sakura's moans echoed throughout the basement as the scent in the room became mixed with sweat and sex. Sasuke groaned, thrusting into her damp clit more fervently and heatedly.

"You're so fucking tight," he murmured brashly to her along with other dirty nothings in her ear, chewing and nipping her earlobe as he drove further into her still. Her reply was even louder, erotic moans as her rosy lips were parted; her cheeks flushed with her head tilted back, her eyes closed in pure pleasure as a light sheet of sweat dawned both their bodies.

Ultimately, Sakura felt her body climax as she cried out loudly, arching her back with her chest pressed against his. She felt Sasuke continue his unruly pace for a few more moments before following suit, his arms propped on either side of her head with his palms against the ground to keep his body from collapsing.

He moved beside her before plopping his body on the ground by her side. Absentmindedly his arm reached out, wrapping around her waist as he brought her back against his chest, pressed against him firmly with his arm securely around her midsection. He buried his face in her pastel pink hair cascaded down her back, inhaling her sweet cherry blossom fragrance.

The basement was silent beside the soft pants filling the room. Thick lashes lowered over emerald eyes as both soon regained their breathing.

"Sa… Sasuke-kun…" Sakura started slowly, placing a hand over the one against her stomach. She brushed her fingers against his. "…What do we do? You're a mass murderer, and it's my job to take you out. But… I can't _do _it… but I can't go back without a mission completed. They'll kill me if I don't…"

"…I know," he answered solemnly after a few moments. "The dobe and I will be killed if we don't complete our tasks, either."

She twisted in his arms, facing him as her fingertips grazed along side his chiseled cheekbone down to his lips.

"Why are you trying to kill Hinata and I?"

Onyx eyes stared back at her, eyelids hooding over his irises. "You know of Akatsuki. You know of Naruto and I. You know too much."

"…I don't want you to die," she whispered back to him, her fingers still gently caressing his handsome, pale face. "I don't want you to die for not killing me. So… I'll let you. I'll let you kill me. I know how dangerous Akatsuki is and can be; I know they probably will take you out for not killing me."

She twisted her body away from him, her arm outstretched as it reached for her utility belt. Her hand dug through the contents until she found what she was looking for—a small dagger. Turning back, she placed the small knife between their bodies. She closed her eyes, still stroking his face.

"…I'll let you kill me—"

"Don't be stupid," he retorted curtly. Emerald eyes snapped open at his harsh tone. "You aren't going to die."

"But, Akatsuki will—"

"Naruto and I are the strongest they have. They would not get rid of us so easily, nor would we let them have the chance." The uncertainty did not waver from her face. "The dobe and I were planning to overrun Akatsuki long before we met you or the other girl."

"You mean, you were going to overrun them _after_ you killed us?"

Sasuke's mouth set in a thin line, but he nodded briskly nonetheless. "It would deceive them into thinking we were still loyal. We would gain the upper hand of a surprise revolt. They would be unprepared, and easy for the kill."

Her mouth formed a silent 'o' in understanding. Then she softly asked, "Where would you go after?"

"That doesn't matter."

Sakura remained silent for a few moments, breathing evenly through her nostrils as her gaze lowered, staring idly at his toned torso as her fingers gently ran along his collarbone.

"…Do you still plan to follow what you were originally going to do? Kill Hinata and I, then rebel?"

She felt him shift beneath her touch, then saw his body lift itself off the ground. Her eyes followed him, turning her head as she watched him walking towards the pile of their clothes. She twisted her body, sitting up with her left palm against the floor as leverage, her legs on their side with her other hand held in a fist in front of her bare chest.

A blush dusted her cheeks as she watched him bend down, the muscles in his firm ass contorting as he did so, picking up his boxers before slipping them on, followed by his pants.

Without looking at her, Sasuke picked up her garments, tossing it to her as Sakura merely lifted her hand, catching the articles of clothing with ease. However, she refrained from dressing in them just yet, continuing to clutch them in front of her uncovered bosom. She frowned as she watched him slip on his black v-neck shirt.

"…Is that it, then? You sleep with me, and then you're going to kill me?"

"Get dressed," he murmured brusquely, raven bangs hovering over his onyx orbs. His head was turned away from her; his arms limp at both his sides as he stood.

Sakura ignored the tinges of hurt pulling at her heartstrings. "Not until you explain to me, Sasuke-kun. You're using me, is that it? Is that what you don't want to tell me?"

Instead of answering her, emerald eyes watched him slip out a cell phone from his pocket, his fingers flying across the number pads, dialing a number before holding it up to his ear.

_Please leave a message after the beep: Beep—_

"Oi, dobe—"

_((SFX: clang))_

Sakura smacked away the mobile phone from his hand, still clutching her clothes to her chest as she stood before him. Sasuke merely stared back at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"Stop ignoring me, Sasuke-kun," the woman spoke steadily yet assertively. As his onyx gaze bore into hers, the Uchiha could see wells of tears forming at the corner of her jade eyes. "You're using me, aren't you? Then, why did you save me from that speeding truck? Why… why didn't you just let me die?" Her brow wrinkled at the memory. "Or did you save me because you wanted to sleep with me, one last time, alive, or—mmphs!"

He cut her off by slamming his lips against hers, effectively causing her to drop her articles of clothing into his awaiting hands. Swiftly, as he kissed her, he slipped on her panties, followed by her shorts. He released her swollen lips as she stared dazedly up at him, and used that time to slip her black tank top over her head.

"You talk too much."

Sakura poked her arms through the straps, fixing her tangled hair as she pulled it out of the cloth and placed it down her back, ruffling the pink tresses a few times. Her jade stare was pointed towards a corner in the spacious area, finding that she couldn't bring herself to look at the firm ebony gaze she could practically _feel _boring into her.

"…Sakura."

She felt a hand grasp under her chin, tilting her head upwards, forcing her eyes to lock with onyx irises burning with intensity.

"You aren't going to die. I'm not going to kill you. And…"

The blossom-haired woman felt his fingers release her chin, watching him with an arched eyebrow and blinking jade eyes as he whisked his head away from her, raven bangs hiding his expression. His hands dug in the pockets of the long dark pants donned on his lean physique, fingers fisting inside the leather pouches.

"…I wasn't using you."

* * *

"Hinata! Wake up! Open your eyes! Hinata!"

Five long, agonizing minutes of nonstop calling, shouting at the top of his lungs, and still, nothing. Not even the slightest stir from the girl he held tightly in his arms.

Pants escaped Naruto's throat as he tried to regain his voice, recover the wasted breath he had used to futilely call for the midnight-haired girl's name.

Slowly, the hand gripping Hinata's unmoving shoulder extended it's fingers, still keeping a grip on the Hyuuga as he did so. Cerulean eyes stared openly at the lengths of his digits. His other hand, that had been lightly patting her cheek in an effort to wake her, slowly faced upwards, his palm towards the ceiling. His azure gaze shifted from his fingers to the palm of his other hand. He stared at the blood smudged across the digits that had been against Hinata's shoulder, along with the blood smeared across his opposite hand.

Left, right. Left, right. His eyes flickered back and forth between both sights.

It was then Naruto realized his body was quaking with repressed anger, for his hands were covered in crimson sticky liquid—however, it was not an unfamiliar sight, therefore that was not what was causing an uproar inside himself. No, it was not the blood that bothered him. Instead, it was _whom_ the blood belonged to.

Azure irises shakily transferred it's stare towards Hinata's body. Her corpse was mangled from everything her cadaver was put under, as some thick bars and poles still remained pressed against her. Her skin tone remained an unhealthy pale, her body remaining perfectly still, with the stains of her scarlet blood splotched against her flawless pale skin, creating a contrast between the whiteness of her skin and the dark ruby liquid.

His stare fell back upon his hands, cobalt eyes now widening in horror. Slowly, it was hitting him. Gradually, the realization, the full comprehension, was beginning to dawn him.

His hands. They were covered in blood—_her_ blood. _He _was the one that caused her unmoving corpse, _he _had _killed _her. _He _was the cause of her death, with his own _hands_, _he_ had brought her life to an end, by his own _HANDS_. His insides were grueling, his gut twisting with blame, fault, self-reproach—all erupting inside of him.

_It… was all… my _fucking_ fault!_

_((SFX: BAM!!))_

The door of the battered gym swung open, harshly slamming against the wall. Two figures stepped inside.

Naruto heard this noise instantaneously, his body turning stiffly rigid. His cerulean irises slowly shifted towards the left, towards where he heard the source of the sound. His eyes were heavily wary and guarded, his hands taking hold of Hinata's still body once more as his grasp on her tightened inexplicably, bringing the girl's body unconsciously closer to his chest.

The blonde assassin soon realized one of the figures that had entered was Sasuke, able to tell it was his partner by the broad black outline of his body. His gaze fell upon the feminine curves of the person beside the Uchiha, and Naruto knew it must have been their other target, Sakura.

Upon seeing this, the blonde slowly, gently lowered Hinata's body from his hold, placing her corpse against the floor, on her back. Her head fell limply to the side, her cheek pressed against the cold concrete of the floor littered with rubble from their previous fight.

Slowly Naruto stood, shaky legs carrying him a few feet away from the midnight-haired girl's body. He ambled towards an open pipe, sharply cut from the destruction of his and the Hyuuga's brawl as drops of water costively fell against the floor in light splashes.

_((SFX: plop… plop… plop…))_

Sluggishly, Naruto rose both his hands, allowing the water to splatter against his palms. Then he wiped his moistened hands against one another, intent on ridding the crimson stains against his skin. His body felt sickened at the thought of having Hinata's blood on him.

The blonde heard footsteps drawing closer towards him from behind, taking the lightest of steps, with subtle stealth. However he ignored this, continuing to focus on his task as he carried on chafing his palms against one another to rid the sticky liquid tarnished against his skin.

Then Naruto heard one pair of footsteps come to a sudden halt, followed by a feminine gasp escaping the person's throat.

Azure irises shut tight, beginning to rub his hands somewhat fervently and frantically against one another in a more desperate attempt to get the blood off. His insides resumed their twisting and turning laced with fault and self-reproach, swabbing his palms as further drops from the cut pipeline continued to fall against his hands. His thoughts screamed, over and over:

_Damn it, come off already, come off, COME OFF—_

* * *

Dark onyx eyes shifted from Sakura, then to Hinata's lying form, followed by falling against the sight of Naruto's back.

Sasuke's attention then swapped over to the woman beside him, watching as Sakura choked out a startled gasp, one hand flying in front of her mouth as emerald eyes widened in aghast shock. He saw her body immediately react, rushing over to Hinata's side before dropping on her shins beside the Hyuuga's motionless body. Slowly, tentatively, Sakura's arm outstretched, her hand reaching with fingers extended towards the pale girl. Her other hand, still held in front of the pink-haired woman's mouth, clenched into a fist. Grief began welling in her irises at the sight of her partner—whom had grown close to her over the years—still, unmoving, and, clearly from the sight, no longer living. A strangled sob escaped her throat, tears brimming the corner of moistly glistening large sea green eyes.

The Uchiha remained standing as eyelids hooded over murky ebony eyes. Slowly his stare shifted over from Sakura to Naruto, watching as his blonde companion continued to fanatically try and rub the blood off his hands, clearly not realizing he was only making the scarlet blotches smear against his palms even further.

Sasuke gave a slow blink, his mind reminiscing on how every time him and the blonde idiot would "work"—by taking out their target—Naruto would always be pushy when it came to washing the blood off, always claiming that the sticky, thick liquid made him feel "filthy." The raven-haired male didn't bother to argue over Naruto's demands of washing the crimson fluids off, though, as he was normally impassive when it came to blood splashing against him.

His mind recalled how after Kabuto would come to 'clean up their mess,' as was the usual routine (excluding a few times) the two would depart towards their hotel. Once reaching their rented suite in the lodge they would stay at for the duration of their "task," Sasuke's onyx eyes would always catch the common sight of Naruto rushing over to the sink, twisting the tap as cold water would fill the basin followed by the blonde making haste to place his hands beneath the spilling liquid, scrubbing his palms thoroughly.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, the Uchiha leisurely walked, halting his steps once he was barely a foot behind his alleged best friend.

"What happened?" he asked in a low, grave voice, only meant for Naruto's ears to catch. The sight of the blonde's body stiffening in response to his question entered Sasuke's vision, and it was then he heard the faint noise of teeth scraping, gritting harshly against each molar, along with Sakura's stifled sobs as it echoed in the empty space. Onyx eyes blinked slow once more. "Naruto… answer—"

"_You…"_

At the almost inaudible, seething voice, Sasuke glanced over his shoulder as Naruto gradually lifted his head, but only by the slightest raise.

"You… killed her…"

Naruto's body now turned, facing towards Sasuke's direction, looking towards the source of the livid tone.

Cerulean eyes stared, watching as Sakura's body rose laggardly from beside Hinata's corpse. She turned 45 degrees, taking a sidestep towards her right, her body now aligned with the blonde's.

Onyx irises noticed Sakura's knees crouch slightly, almost instantly interpreting she was about to move. The Uchiha reacted immediately, catching her springing form with an arm locked around her waist as she had lunged towards Naruto.

Sakura's body struggled, wriggling in every direction in an effort to break free from Sasuke's grasp as the said male continued to hold her back with only his arm extended, his body placed at her side.

One small hand gripped his arm in a ferocious grasp, trying in vain to pull it off other as the pink-haired woman's left arm was outstretched, her hand reaching with fingers extended, seeming to claw at Naruto's figure. Tears had already been streaming down her face as she had done so, but now the beads of moisture that streaked down her cheeks were infused with the furious anger.

"You _murdered_ her! YOU! She didn't_ deserve_ this!" She continued charging forward, continuing to attempt to pounce Naruto in her rage-driven actions, but Sasuke continued diligently hold her back, keeping her firmly placed in front of him as he remained at her side. "HOW COULD YOU?" she screeched as her pushing efforts seemed to calm, her torso hunching over as both arms wound around herself, emerald eyes shutting tight, suppressed sobs escaping her throat as she sniffled. Her body leaned to it's right, her side coming in contact with Sasuke's chest as she slanted against him, pastel pink hair plastered against her face wetly as she let out frustrating tears.

Naruto's face was stricken, throughout the whole endeavor, as though he had been slapped in the face. His azure eyes had visibly widened in reaction to the ferocious tone of Sakura's voice that she had used on him only a few moments ago. Her fury seemed to die down as she wept against Sasuke, whom merely kept the hold on her waist but did nothing more. Naruto knew it was not of the Uchiha's nature to know how to comfort.

His head sloped downwards, both his hands rising as his cobalt gaze fell upon his open palms. The blood of Hinata against his skin did not rinse off, as he had fanatically tried—instead, his vicious wiping had caused the sticky fluid to smudge across his hands, almost covering all of his palms.

His head rose, his stare falling upon Sakura, whose body shook roughly as it was wracked with sobs. Her eyes remained fiercely closed, but her mouth was open, moving as Naruto began to realize she was saying—or shouting—something, as angry tears continued to streak down her face. She was probably letting out her frustrations, probably cursing and sending threats towards him for having taken away one of her important people. However his ears could not make out what she was saying, and Naruto realized it was not because she was speaking incoherently in her wails, but rather that everything around the blonde seemed stilled, with Sakura's words hazy and blurred in his hearing.

The assassin shifted his gaze over to Sasuke, who sustained in holding the pink-haired woman back. Naruto noted the Uchiha wasn't looking at him, nor was he looking at the weeping woman in front of him—instead, his head was titled downwards, raven bangs hiding his expression but Naruto knew that his onyx stare was on the ground, boring into the broken wood of the floor as his face remained detached.

The blonde had expected the raven-haired male's expression to be aloof, almost having predicted it. Naruto knew Sasuke was distant to the situation because the Uchiha was used to the visual of lifeless corpses, as he and Naruto were normally the cause of the carcasses, as it was their profession to bring about the dead bodies. However, in the back of his mind, the trained murderer had been reconciling, somewhat hoping that his supposed best friend would do something, actually openly show his reaction, be it for once in his life, instead of concealing his thoughts as both men had been taught to do.

As Sakura maintained to yell, yet to Naruto it seemed as though she were merely mouthing words as her shouts continued to seem like blurred words to his ears, the blonde had been vaguely aspirating that Sasuke would say something to calm Sakura down, and do something to take away the unbearable conflict raging inside Naruto's body. But as Uchiha's face remained impassive, eyelids hooded over cerulean eyes. Nothing could be said, he rationalized, to change the tension.

Sakura's body leaned against Sasuke's once more, her face buried in the juncture where his neck and shoulder meet, concealing the top portion of her features.

"Damn you… Naruto…" she mumbled, but loud enough for the said male to catch it. The blonde's ears perked at her words, but he remained perfectly still. "Do you hear me?" the pink-haired woman added, lifting her head somewhat. "For taking…" she swallowed heavily, "…taking Hinata away… _damn _you—damn you, Naruto—!"

"Sa… kura…"

At the soft, raspy voice, Sakura visible stilled. Naruto's azure irises widened enigmatically, his body tensing. Sasuke's head turned, onyx eyes shifting to the left.

"Please… don't yell… at Naruto… kun…"


	16. Plans

**Author's Note:** Blame school for the lateness. :(

_Standard Disclaimer applied._

_

* * *

_

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? [SasuSaku] [NaruHina]

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Plans**

Someone was yelling.

Someone disturbingly loud, shouting with a screeching voice—along with… choked sobs?

She couldn't distinguish who was making the noise, though, as everything around her seemed in an endless black.

Hinata tried to move, to find the source of the shrieking tone, but found her body to feel oddly pained, along with the weight of something pressed against her. At this conclusion, she mentally frowned, and tried to budge once more—but to no avail. She still couldn't move, to her befuddlement.

The deafening resonance of yelling entered her ears once more. The voice sounded somewhat familiar to the Hyuuga's ears, and thus she strained her hearing to try and comprehend whom the tone pitch could belong to.

"…damn_ you—damn you, Naruto—!"_

Hearing the name, roared in vast anger it seemed akin to, Hinata felt her body react, her form growing tense. A migraine suddenly plagued her mind as the midnight-haired woman mentally recoiled, sudden pain washing over her body.

_Naruto… kun? Is he… near?_

Absentmindedly, she mused over why the person called Naruto's name in such an irate manner—only to soon realize that the screeching voice sounded feminine, a very familiar tone…

It didn't take long for Hinata to place who the voice belonged to, the owner's name almost instantly flashing in her mind.

"Sa… kura…"

The yelling unexpectedly came to an abrupt halt. Everything remained concealed in darkness to Hinata, weight on her body now becoming evident to her as her breathing became harder.

A pregnant silence filled the air; tension building so thick one could slice it with a butcher's knife. Judging from the reigning stillness, the midnight-haired woman could fairly assume the woman she had softly called out to was, indeed, the person whom had been yelling so fervently.

"Please… don't yell… at Naruto… kun…"

Her voice was faint yet delicate, hoarse from the dryness of her throat and the heaviness heaved on mostly her upper body. The woman wheezed as she inhaled breath into her crushing lungs, her numb body slowly regaining it's feeling. As she slowly became conscious of her surroundings, it was then she realized objects such as poles and columns pressed against her.

Her thick lashes remained lowered, manifest lavender eyes yet to have opened. Her breathing became ragged, winded, as she tried to force movement within herself. Her chest rose and fell in a staggering manner as she rasped for the air leaving her from the continuing weight heaved against her body.

"Please…" her voice—throaty, scratchy—softly whispered, so quiet it almost seemed inaudible. Her eyes shut tight as she leaned her head back somewhat, the base of her skull coming in contact further with the cold cement beneath her. Everything around her remained in seemingly incessant darkness, a silence lingering in the tenuous air. "Don't… yell at him…"

* * *

His body was frozen.

_There's—there's no way… it's not possible…!_

Her voice—so soft, so delicate—rang in his ears, echoing against his eardrums over and over, over and over.

Widened cerulean irises stared blankly ahead. His eyes held vast amounts disbelief. The memory of their earlier fight, of their violent encounter, replayed repeatedly in his mind. Naruto could practically envision how he had removed the safety cap to the grenade, ambled over to where Hinata's feeble body lay trapped beneath rubble and columns, placed the ticking time bomb beside her whilst ignoring her whims and with a heavy heart, turned his back to her and heard the deafening blast of the barrage reverberate as he turned to go back for her.

He had rushed over to her, held her in his arms and called her name over and over again. She had not reacted, had not budged an inch. He had truthfully believed he had brutally murdered her, and here she was, speaking so sensitively tender for Sakura to cease her yelling.

Slowly his eyes shifted over to the said pink-haired woman. Her position was stiff as she remained in Sasuke's hold, her body immobile with stunned emerald eyes. Then his gaze swung towards the Uchiha, whom merely held his stare against Hinata's lying form before viewing the man's dark onyx irises transfer to Naruto's own vision. His look was blasé, hard yet intent.

Silently understanding the unspoken message beneath the raven-haired man's gaze, Naruto forced movement to his legs. He began shakily walking towards Hinata's body (which remained flaccidly placed on her back), his steps staggering slightly as he sauntered. He found his pace quickening, his strides lengthening before his body broke out in a dashing sprint towards the midnight-haired girl.

He rushed over to her, falling upon his shins as he slid against the floor before landing beside her. His body hunched over, engulfing Hinata in his arms as he crushed her against him, burying his face in her silky dark hair.

Lavender eyes snapped open at this, one mauve iris drawing to a close as she winced slightly at the pressure against her sore body. She breathed jaggedly through her mouth as the Hyuuga felt the grip around her tighten.

"Hinata, I—I'm so sorry, it's because of me you almost—I, I just—" the blonde stumbled over his words, his speech so rapid the midnight-haired woman almost couldn't comprehend his sentence. The hold against her constricted once more.

"Naruto… kun… I…" she began tenderly, feebly, as lavender irises watched the said male spring his head up to look at her. Thick lashes lowered as she blinked slowly. "…I—"

She blinked once more when Naruto leaned forward, only for her eyes to widen enigmatically when he pressed his mouth against hers, drawing her body impossibly closer to his own.

Her body turned rigid, her expression stunned as her responding words became muffled by his mouth slanted against hers. Her eyes drew to a close as she gently, softly kissed him in return. Her lashes fluttered open when the blonde leaned back, continuing to embrace her.

"You have no idea how glad I am to that you're alive," he mumbled, his words jumbled together at the pace of his speaking. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even hurt you in the first place—" the assassin felt faint panting against his ear, thus he leaned his head back, glimpsing upon Hinata who seemed to be gasping for air. A wolfish grin spread across his tan features at the sight. "_Oh_, am I such a good kisser that I left you breathless?" he joked as his grin quirked along with his inquiry.

The Hyuuga flashed him a weak smile in rejoinder to his tease. "No… Naruto-kun…" her hoarse voice began delicately. "The bars… on my stomach…" she wheezed once more, her voice resonating winded. "It makes it… hard to breathe…"

Cerulean eyes instantaneously broadened at the remark, immediately releasing her from his hold as he heaved the rubble and columns off the girl's body before swallowing her up in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Hinata-chan," he whispered to her, his mouth on her ear, pressing her against him even tighter. One hand wrapped securely around her waist, the other cradled her head, coaxing it against his broad shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I never meant—I didn't want—"

"Naru… to-kun…" she breathed out, panting softly as her tone remained croaky. Lashes lowered over lilac irises, her eyes drawing to a close as she leaned into Naruto's hold. "Please… stop apologizing…" she whispered, throatily. "It's… all right… I… forgive you…"

"How could you? I don't deserve it," he mumbled in a defeatist attitude, his voice pessimistic.

"I… understand…" her voice was soft, soothing. "You had… no choice…"

"Well, yeah, but I—"

She shushed him by forcing her head to rise, gently, tenderly pressing her lips against his. The blonde instantly hushed, cerulean eyes blinking a few times when Hinata parted away, her body falling back into his awaiting arms.

"I had… no choice, either…" she breathed out, softly, before leaning into his embrace, resting her head against the crook of his neck. Lashes lowered as her eyes slowly drew to a close.

"Hi—Hinata…?"

Her eyelids rose at the hush, stunned female voice. "Sakura…"

Said woman slowly raised her head from where it hid in the juncture where Sasuke's neck and shoulder meet. "I… you're—" shakily, she disentangled herself from the Uchiha, whom solemnly allowed her to do so. With a hand clutched in front of her chest, she took a tentative step forward. A disbelieving frown on her face creased her features, emerald eyes blinking furiously in massive incredulity.

Naruto, who had his head turned and cerulean eyes focused on the pink-haired female, gradually loosened his hold on the Hyuuga. He gave a lenient, docile smile at her aghast expression. With a nimble, casual jerk with his head, he slowly, gently lightened his grasp on the girl, tenderly lowering her against the floor. Then, he drawlingly stood, taking a step towards where a somber Sasuke stood.

Quietly understanding his silent cue, Sakura erratically began walking forward; halting her steps once she was in front of Hinata's lying body. She lowered herself to her knees, slowly, then, engulfed the petite midnight-haired woman in a crushing hold.

At the unexpectedly squeezing seize, the Hyuuga choked out a breath before a meek smile graced her features. "Ano… Sakura—"

"Don't scare me like that again!" her voice was quiet, a mere brash whisper, yet it held no conviction, no scolding tenor. "I really thought you were—"

Lavender eyes blinked. "I'm sorry…"

The pink-haired woman heaved a soft sigh. "I told you, when we joined this profession, that I wasn't going to lose any more important people." Her tone lightly shook as she spoke.

Sasuke, within an earshot distance along with his perceptive hearing, narrowed onyx eyes at her words. _Lose any more important people?_ he silently mulled over.

He watched as Sakura pulled away from her embrace, keeping her hands placed firmly on the dark-haired girl's shoulders as emerald eyes fixedly locked with mauve irises. He watched her mouth move as she spoke. "I wasn't going to go back on my word, starting with you."

Hinata, now in an upright sitting position, batted her eyelids before drawing them to a close, a kind smile spreading across her light complexion. "I know."

In the intervening time, Naruto took the few remaining steps towards Sasuke with his long strides, having silently listened to the girls' conversation. As he made his way over to the Uchiha, he tuned out the added exchange of words between the girls.

He halted his steps in front of the raven-haired man, his back to the females behind him as Sasuke's body was aligned facing towards them. At Naruto's coming, ebony irises merely flicked over to the blonde as recognition before putting his gaze blankly ahead.

"Teme."

"Dobe."

Flaxen eyebrows furrowed crossly. "I'm through with following Orochimaru-bastard's orders."

Uchiha's eyelids lowered, becoming half-lidded as they hooded over onyx eyes. "Hn."

"It's time you and me revolt, eh? Kakashi can follow suit later."

"You can't just revolt without a plan, dolt."

Silence.

Onyx eyes blinked slowly. "Do you have one?"

A foxy grin spread across tan, whiskery features. "Of course! Do I look like someone who wouldn't have a plan for this?"

Sasuke sent him a flat, deadpanned look. "Answer that yourself."

Folding his arms behind his head, hands clasped together against sun-kissed blonde hair, Naruto pursed his mouth, one cerulean eye drawing to a close. "Ah, why am I not surprised? You need to have more faith in me, teme!" In reply, the raven-haired male merely snorted. "Oh, screw you! I don't need you for this plan, anyway. I can just say you got killed off being the arrogant ass that you are—Ow!" The offensive remark earned the blonde a harsh whack to the back of his head. Naruto scowled, rubbing the back of his head. "You _see_? Besides, I don't need you! All I need is—"

"Your plan. What is it," spoke Sasuke, pronouncing the question as a statement.

Opening his closed eye, cobalt irises blinked. "Well…" Naruto began, craning his neck over his shoulder as he shifted his gaze onto Hinata and Sakura. "We're going to need some outside help."

* * *

_((SFX: clank!!))_

The door swung open from the force of the kick, echoing in the large, spacious manor. Inside, the walls were lined with expensive paintings against the polished mahogany wood, along with a lavishly long, scarlet silk carpet draped against the floor of the hallway-like entrance. Elegant candles with an upwards arch in their brass handle hung on the walls as well, illuminating the roomy space of the quarters.

Simultaneously, Naruto and Sasuke thrust in Hinata and Sakura, each bound on their arms and legs with thickly braided rope in a tight, complex knot. Sakura wore a convincing scowl as she squirmed to wrench free of her restraints held by the Uchiha, whilst Hinata donned a credible frown as she lightly struggled against the blonde assassin (her body still sore from her earlier encounter.)

The four proceeded through the hallway, heading towards the destination of Orochimaru's head office.

The females halted their struggles, only for Sakura to resume so (as Hinata was too weak at the moment) when a few guards walked by.

"_Damn _you!" she shouted as the safeguards cast skeptical looks towards her. "For tricking me like that!" she added for her credibility. As the security made their way passed, the pink-haired woman added, "Go to hell, you son of a—"

"Bite your tongue," murmured Sasuke, his voice a low, compelling rumble as the guards drew out of earshot. Sakura feigned her vicious glare directed towards him. "…before I do it for you."

The woman couldn't refrain the fresh blush that coated her cheeks, whipping her flustered face away from the smirking Uchiha's view as she used her pastel pink tresses to obscure her face.

A few more yards they walked until the four came across a tall, double entry door fortified by two lookouts securely placed on either side.

"Orochimaru's headquarters," Naruto informed Hinata against her ear in a murmur, his voice so low one would assume he had mouthed the words. "Let us through," the blonde spoke up, loud enough for the lackeys to hear. "We have… _presents_." He willed himself not to spit out the word.

The two henchmen turned their heads towards one another before stepping aside. With the men's intimidating reputations, one knew to follow any orders if ever given.

With a scowl, Naruto forced open the double entry door with a rough yank; not giving a damn about the thunderous sound resonated from the noisy entrance slamming against the steel walls. Continuing to hold their respective women, the two assassins took leisure steps inside.

The room was spacious, the term "large" being a massive understatement. It was open with lack of furnishings inside, aside from the steps leading up to an elegant throne placed on a platform. Expensive chandeliers hung on either side, the gold glistening against the walls as the lights glimmered. The floor was polished to an exquisite shine, not a single trace of dust could be seen. The flooring was tiled with intricate designs and patterns on each one.

Seated on the ruby outlined with gold throne, with Kabuto by his side as he spoke in a hushed tone to two men dressed in classy black suits, was Orochimaru. Upon having heard the noisy entrance, the dark-haired man shifted his snake-like eyes over to the arrivers.

"Why, if it isn't Sasuke-kun and Naruto," the leader spoke, a subtle yet palpable slyness in his voice. With a flicker of his wrist, Orochimaru sent away the two men dressed in the suits as they shuffled out the door. His bizarre gold eyes seemed to glow as they fell upon the sights of Sakura and Hinata. "I see you've brought your targets," he began, his tone dropping to faint seething as a scowl set on his pale face. "You have an explanation as to why they aren't _dead_?"

"Calm down. Geez, don't get your panties in a bundle," Naruto commented, muttering the last statement. "We have our reasons," he explained aloud.

Keeping a firm grip on Sakura's bound wrists as she stood in front of him, Sasuke spoke up. "Concubines," he stated. He shoved the pink-haired woman in front of him a few feet ahead for added emphasis. "They could serve you as your concubines."

"Concubines, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto repeated quietly to his master. "They are… fairly decent looking."

With a perverse grin spread across his features, Orochimaru stood from his throne, disregarding Kabuto's words. He walked forward, stepping down the stair-like steps before halting in front of Sakura. Placing a hand under her chin, he turned her head to one side, then twisted it to the other as he examined her with a disturbing glint in his unnatural gold eyes.

Sakura clenched her jaw, gritting her molars with thin eyebrows pulled together in disturbance. She felt Orochimaru turn her head once more before keeping it turned to the side. She felt something wet touch her cheek before emerald eyes grew wide, then shut tight as his tongue flicked upwards against the smooth, porcelain skin of her cheek. Behind her, her fists compressed as intense revulsion convulsed her.

At the repulsive action, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his jaw tightened, moving slightly. His face darkened as onyx flashed to menacing, sinister blood red Sharingan before returning to the original ebony hues. The Uchiha forced himself to control his rising temper, knowing he couldn't risk the ploy Naruto had conceived.

"…Delicious," spoke Orochimaru with his creepy smile, referring to the taste of Sakura. His snake-like eyes shifted over to Hinata, his golden irises glowing eerily as the Hyuuga flinched under his scrutinizing stare, her body becoming stunned. His feet pivoted, beginning to saunter over to her. "She looks just as good." Hinata's body froze. "…Or even better."

A growl sounded through Naruto's throat as his grip tightened against Hinata's tied arms placed behind her back. He snatched her backwards, puling her back to his chest as cerulean eyes flashed protectively.

"Figure that out on your own time," he spat, blonde eyebrows furrowing as he unconsciously pulled the midnight-haired girl tighter against him.

"Oh?" questioned Orochimaru, eyebrows mockingly rising just beneath his hairline. "You seem very fond of her, Naruto-kun," the man remarked. In response, the assassin merely held his hard gaze. "Unless…" he continued, his voice prodding with a bizarre grin placing on his face, "it is because you have already tasted her?" His grin seemed to spread further along his features upon seeing the irate glint in the blonde's azure eyes, as well as Hinata's flush contrasting greatly against her pale white skin. "Tell me, Naruto-kun, is she—"

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, you sick bastard," Naruto uttered rancorously, acerbically.

The snake-like man chuckled halfheartedly, pivoting on his foot as he turned his back upon the two men. "Very well, they will serve as my concubines. Fine idea, gentlemen." Raising his forearm, he gave another flick of his wrist. "Take them away, then return. You have another… _business_ to attend to."

The Uchiha's lip curled upwards in a sneer as the blonde gave a low scoff, his expression scornful as he turned away simultaneously with Sasuke.

Both men left the room, keeping Sakura and Hinata (still bound against their arms and legs) placed in front of them as they lead them through the halls. They eventually stopped before a wooden door, and once Naruto opened the door, he and Sasuke lead the girls down the descending steps to a dimly lit dungeon placed below.

"How much longer do we have to keep this up?" Sakura asked as Sasuke began undoing her restraints.

"Not much longer," the Uchiha replied concisely, his voice gruff.

Naruto loosened the thickly braided rope tied against Hinata's wrists and ankles as they unfastened, dropping to the floor in an idle _plop_. The petite girl shook her wrists somewhat before turning, lavender eyes filled with vague worry falling upon the blonde's face.

"Naruto-kun, I… I don't know about—"

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," the said male reassured, placing one hand on the girl's shoulder as the other cupped the side of her face, the pad of his thumb grazing the soft skin of her cheek beneath her eye. "I'm not going to let that sick bastard lay a finger on you, understand?"

Her gaze faltered from his own, her head tilting downwards as she gave a meek nod in response. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile, lowering himself to press a firm, chaste kiss to further assure her. He donned a crooked grin upon seeing her pale cheeks color with a warm, crimson blush.

"Besides," Naruto continued, "we already have him right where we want him. Orochimaru won't know what hit him when we go back to get our new 'business' and whip out our guns and blow his brains out." He beamed a cheeky grin towards Hinata's cringe upon his vulgarity, then shifted his cerulean eyes to his partner. "Isn't that right, teme?"

"Aa," replied his comrade, his voice nonchalant as he was currently digging through the contents inside his bulky jet-black jacket. Finding what he was seeking for, he retreated his hand, revealing a sleek black _Desert Eagle _revolver. The gun clicked as the raven-haired male loaded the pistol with fresh ammo. He spun the gun in his hand before moving to pocket it, only to pause when a small hand encased over his own. Onyx eyes trailed the arm of the hand, leading his gaze towards Sakura.

"What, do you expect us to wait here like helpless damsels?" questioned the pink-haired woman with a frown. "Look, this Orochimaru guy, I don't like him—"

"—Hmph, you're not the only one!—" chimed in Naruto with a snort.

Sakura rolled her jade eyes before focusing them back upon the Uchiha. "Sasuke, listen, I don't think he's one to go down so easily—"

"Are you saying the dobe and I can't beat him?" Sasuke inquired, his eyes slimming.

"No, of course not!" Sakura refuted. "What I'm saying is, why don't let Hinata and I help you? We could—"

"No way!" interrupted Naruto, pocketing the sharp silver dagger he had been examining moments ago. "It's way too dangerous for you two, and I'm not going to let _anything_ happen—"

"But, Naruto-kun," Hinata intermitted, softly. "We can take care of ourselves. We've been trained in this—"

"The dobe is right," Sasuke stated gruffly, ebony irises locking with fierce, defiant emerald ones. "You're not putting yourselves in pointless danger—"

"Why don't you swallow your pride and just accept help, Sasuke-kun?!" retaliated the pink-haired woman, her voice having risen unconsciously shrill as her frustrated dawdled. She took a few breaths, an angry flush to her cheeks as her lashes lowered, only to lift a few moments later. Her hand rose, the tips of her fingers gently caressing the side of the strikingly handsome man's face. "…Look, if anything happened to you—"

Dark eyes flashed. "Nothing will."

Emerald eyes blazed. "But if something _did_," she pushed on, "I'm not going to say I couldn't do anything about it." Her gaze wavered to a corner, her fingers giving light, nimble touches to his face as it dithered, lowering to the curve of his jaw. Her frown deepened somewhat as she felt the tenseness in the raven-haired male's jawbone.

She felt a hand grasp the back of her head, clutching chunks of pink tresses before tilting her head back, then a mouth pressing against hers, slanting against her lips. Large sea green eyes snapped open at the impulsive action before grasping a bundle of silky raven hair to steady herself from the breathlessly firm kiss, her eyes drawing to a close.

His kiss was powerful, dominating— knocking the air out of her from its mere force. Her stomach was twisting, churning as a searing sensation convulsed her spine.

Then, just as quick as it came, he pulled himself away from her, resting his forehead against her brow as both panted, regaining their breath.

"Nothing will happen," he murmured in reassurance, his voice deep, husky.

"Let us come with you," Sakura breathed out, continuing to recover the air that had been knocked out of her. She felt slightly dazed and lightheaded. "Let _me _come."

"No," retorted Sasuke flatly. "Stay here. You'll only be in my way."

Thick lashes lowered over emerald irises, her eyes half-lidded. "I won't. I promise—"

"Naruto."

His blonde companion instantly turned his head towards his cohort, lifting his head away from Hinata but keeping his hands grasped around her own as he had been uttering comforts to the worrying midnight-haired woman.

Leaning his head back, Sasuke's onyx eyes shifted to the right, glancing upon his partner.

"Let's go."

With a nod, Naruto turned back to the Hyuuga, giving a bright, dazzling smile. "We'll be back, don't worry!" he exclaimed, giving her hands one last squeeze and her forehead a quick peck before turning away from her, following the Uchiha.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun—" the girl began as Sasuke moved agilely, heading towards the stairs to ascend to the manor. She reached out her arm to his retreating back—

_((SFX: clank!))_

Because of the dimly lit lights, the girls had not noticed the men had leaded them into a jail-like cage inside the dungeon area, the exiting doors having just closed, locking them inside as the locks turned with a _click_.

Thin eyebrows rose as Sakura donned an expression of disbelief. "You're locking us in _here_?" she interrogated.

Naruto flashed a cheeky grin. "Just to make sure you don't do anything we'll regret!"

Then his façade drew somber.

"We'll be back."

Pause.

"_I'll _be back, Hinata-chan," he added upon the woman's fretting frown. "We'll be fine, don't worry—"

"Naruto."

Said male's head turned, cerulean eyes flickering to Sasuke whom stood at the base of the steps, the Uchiha's back facing him. Naruto turned back to the girls, offering one last beam.

"Teme and I will come back for you guys, don't worry!"

"Be careful, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered. "He's… he's dangerous, isn't he?"

"…Nothing we can't handle." Giving one last glance, Naruto turned, dashing after Sasuke whom had begun to climb the steps.

A stilling silence reigned for a few moments.

"Hinata," Sakura started, turning towards the said woman. Emerald eyes met mauve. "I don't have a good feeling about this."

"I feel it too," the Hyuuga admitted softly.

With a nod, the pink-haired woman trotted a few steps towards the locked barred door. Placing her arm through one of the bars, she lifted the metal lock, twisting it a few times as trained emerald eyes examined it. Then, she cast her gaze over her shoulder, her glance falling upon Hinata.

"Have a hairpin?"

* * *

"You armed, teme?"

"Answer that yourself, idiot."

"Hmph, you ass."

The two men stood in front of the tall, double entry door. With a smirk, Naruto stepped aside.

"Ladies first."

Ignoring the comment with a scoff, Sasuke twisted the handle, shoving open the two-entry door. The two men stepped inside with agile, swift steps, their movements completely silent. Both pairs of eyes shifted for their target, their bodies crouched low in a defensive manner.

No one.

The room was empty, with no sight let alone trace of Orochimaru to be seen. Upon this observation, Naruto straightened his back somewhat—

_((SFX: bang! bang!))_

Suddenly, shots rang throughout the air, causing the two men to dodge to either side of the room to evade each bullet aimed dead-on for their temporal lobe.

Subsequently, as they shirked the projectiles, another barrage of gunshots ensued. Cerulean and onyx eyes broadened simultaneously as the second set of shots fired whilst they had been maneuvering through the air to elude the first set, thus they couldn't bring themselves to a stop in time. With a twist, each male made sure the shot did not hit any vital areas as it imprinted in each bicep.

With a grunt from the brief pain of the wound, both Naruto and Sasuke fell to the ground, their bodies convulsing repetitively.

_Taser guns_.

"Why, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, planning to carry out a little revolt, are we?"

From the shadows, Orochimaru emerged, his faithful cohort Kabuto following by his side.

"Thank Kabuto, gentlemen," the snake-like man spoke as lackeys appeared, binding the legs of Naruto and Sasuke as both men's' bodies began growing numb and unresponsive. "He just-so-happened to overhear your conversation with your lovely maidens." He chuckled briefly. "I had begun to grow my suspicious with you two, but my, so soon? Clearly you have grown arrogant."

Once restrained, both assassins were placed in front of Orochimaru, just before his feet. With an eerie grin, the murder organization leader held out his hand behind him, where Kabuto placed a _.30-30 Winchester, _freshly loaded as the dark-haired man cocked the gun.

"You two know the punishment for treason," he stated idly as though he were speaking of the weather. "100 deep cuts, avoiding the vital organs, to the traitor, so he would bleed out, and suffer in his death."

Both Sasuke and Naruto's bodies were numbed, slumped forward as neither could move a muscle.

"However," Orochimaru continued, "you two are special. My top assassins. Therefore, you get the special treatment." He cocked the gun once more. "Short and quick, rather than long and painful." A disturbing smile spread across the pale man's face. "You know how you truly know a man's character, boys?" He stepped forward, lowering himself as he placed the gun against Naruto's temple. "You see their true character when you watch their life fade before your very eyes." His grin seemed to grow, his eyes growing distant as though reminiscing a memory. "It's… quite a sight to see." Creepy gold eyes flickered over to Sasuke as Orochimaru gave a jerk with his head for a henchman to force Sasuke's limp head to face Naruto.

Onyx eyes flashed to Sharingan as the snake man pressed the muzzle further against Naruto's temple.

"Let's take a look at Naruto's true character, hm?"

His finger placed on the trigger.

Cerulean eyes widened.

_((SFX: bang!!))_


	17. Revolution

**Author's Note:** The _long_ overdue of this chapter is finally here along with my million apologies. Enjoy my friends!

**Disclaimer: **Nothing I own.

* * *

**Assassination**

Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, professional assassin, known to kill victims in the blink of an eye without a trace of emotion. And he's never failed his reputation. But what if the target he's supposed to kill, is the woman he's fallen in love with? [SasuSaku] [NaruHina]

* * *

**Chapter 17 – Revolution**

_((SFX: bang!!))_

"Naruto!"

The gunshot echoed throughout the large, spacious room.

_((SFX: splat—))_

Blood splurged to the ground, staining the expensive crystal marble floor.

Then, a disturbing, creepy grin, spreading across Orochimaru's pale complexion. "My, my. What a mess." The _.30-30 Winchester_ that was held in the Akatsuki leader's grasp fell limply the floor with a booming _thud_. His opposite hand slowly lifted, reaching over to his opposite forearm, his index finger taking a ginger stroke against the exposed flesh beneath his pale skin. He brought his hand in front of his mouth, gold eyes eyeing the crimson liquid that stained his forefinger. Then, his snake-like tongue emerged from his mouth, acquiring a feather-light swipe of the ruby fluid. Gold irises glimmered eerily as his unsettling smile widened ever so slightly in a fondly manner.

"…Delicious," he murmured, eyes glazing over. "I'd almost forgotten what my own blood tastes like." He then shifted his gaze towards his henchmen, specifically in the direction of the lackey that was forcing the paralyzed Uchiha's body to face Naruto as he received his fatal blow. "Were you expecting reinforcements, Sasuke-kun?"

Onyx eyes widened by a fraction, though it still remained inconspicuous, before the ebony gaze narrowed ominously.

"Let him go."

_That voice… _thought the raven-haired assassin, his ebony stare shifting vaguely towards the right. The next sound pitched to his eardrums was the insert of a bullet, followed by a cocking of a gun.

"Don't think I won't hesitate to kill you, just because I'm a woman."

"Sa… kura…" Sasuke mumbled out, eyebrows pulling together in a scowl, lacking its customary fierceness as a wave of numbness continued to overwhelm his body. She was standing beside where the throne was placed, a sharp _Desert Eagle _revolver held tightly in the clutch of her right hand. "Leave…"

"With you sedated with enough drugs to take out a horse?" the pink-haired woman retorted, scoffing. She kept her arm extended firmly with the firearm held tight in her grasp. "I don't think so." She reverted her callous emerald gaze towards Orochimaru, the corners of her mouth tugging downwards. "I said, let him go."

The snake-like man chuckled, blood continuing to ooze from the open wound against his forearm. "That's quite a shot you have there, girl," he complimented with a wicked glint in his eye. He then gestured towards the henchmen that surrounded him, a smug smirk dawning his features. "But, I'm afraid you're outnumbered."

"'Outnumbered'?" repeated the female killer, mockingly, the curve of her lips displaying a smile. "I'm afraid that word's not in my vocabulary."

Hinata crouched her knees, assuring her position would not be noticed as she hid behind the massively tall and wide red outlined with gold throne. Cautiously, her lilac eyes scanned the area around her before flickering her glance towards Sakura, awaiting her next movements.

As anticipated, emerald eyes flashed to the Hyuuga's for a mere nanosecond. Then, the middle and index fingers of the opposite hand holding the gun curled and straightened, the action repeated once more.

Upon the expected signal, Hinata dashed with rapid speed towards the left. Thin bayonets lied between each of her fingers, resting against the pale skin. With agility and fixed precision, the dark-haired maiden unleashed an onslaught of blades, flying towards the henchmen that resided over Sasuke and near Naruto.

_((SFX: clang clang))_

The few knives that didn't pierce the targets clanked against the marble floor, followed by the reverberations of thuds resulting from the lackeys that were struck as their bodies swayed to one side, falling flaccidly against the floor with multiple groans.

Swiftly, Sakura glanced towards Hinata, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a satisfied grin. Then she returned her gaze towards the snake-like man. "A piece of advice for future knowledge: Have your weapons vault better guarded." Jade eyes glinted mischievously. "You wouldn't want the 'wrong hands' to get a hold of those powerful weapons, would you?"

Orochimaru's expression remained stoic, his features unfazed. Gold eyes blinked in a slow, dull manner, seeming uninterested and bored.

"I certainly wouldn't want that," he eventually replied, his voice calm and collected. "I wouldn't get too smug yet, ladies," the Akatsuki leader added, stepping aside from where he was, revealing a body. "Not all the corpses that lie against the floor belong to my henchmen."

Lavender eyes widened as Hinata glanced upon the blonde assassin. She couldn't conceal the gasp that escaped her throat as her hand reflexively flew in front of her mouth.

Her gaze fell upon the slumped over body of Naruto's, his blonde hair tinged with dark crimson as she realized the back of his skull was grazed with a bullet. She heard him stifling his groans as his head turned to the side, revealing his eyes clenched shut, his molars grounding harshly against one another back and forth. The thick, sticky scarlet liquid pooled against the floor beneath him, his cranium continuing to bleed, appearing as though all his blood was draining out.

Without a moment's notice the midnight-haired maiden rushed over to his side, crouching against her shins as she rested a hand against the small of his back tenderly.

"Naruto…!" she gasped softly, removing the hand adjoining the assassin's back as she placed both her palms against the hemorrhage in his skull, applying firm pressure against the area. Immense worry dwelled within her eyes as she moved ever so slightly, ripping off a piece of her sleeve to suffice as a bandage as she tied it around Naruto's head. Craning her neck over her shoulder, the concerned Hyuuga sent a look of distress towards Sakura.

Said woman maintained her fixated gunpoint, returning her partner's upset appearance with a look of sorrow. Then her eyebrows pulled together fiercely, sending a heated glare towards Orochimaru.

"What did you do to him?" demanded she, her voice rising to a louder tone. Swiftly, she inserted another bullet in her firearm.

The man blinked, blasé. "To put it simply," he began, "you are not the only one with a quick reflex." He swiped his finger against the deep gash that resided in his forearm, observing—seeming as if marveling— as the blood drops trickled sluggishly from the fingernail.

Jade eyes broadened slightly, realization dawning her. Upon releasing the bullet from her gun, she had assumed the reverberations from the gunshot to be the noise left echoing around the spacious room, not presuming the sound was in result to another gunfire. And as the blonde was still paralyzed, he could not resonate a reaction to alert one of the wound to his skull.

"Hinata," started the pink-haired woman. "You need to—" From her peripheral movement, Sakura saw movement, watching as one of the allegedly dead henchmen stood up without faltering. Instinct kicked in as her arm proceeded to aim her pistol at the moving man. However, her grip tightened when she reached her gunpoint, her eyebrows creasing.

The gray-haired had moved swiftly, protruding a gun to press against Sasuke's temple as the other hand grasped the assassin's thick raven hair, forcing his head back. The Uchiha, unable to retaliate let alone move his body in result to the ongoing effect of the paralyze sedative, could only glare, baring some teeth as they grit against one another, his jaw clenched.

Upon being released from the direction of the firearm, Orochimaru lowered his arm to retrieve his discarded _.30-30 Winchester_, leaving his shot arm aside as he let it rest against his side limply.

"Don't move," Sakura called out, witnessing his movement as well. She moved her free hand behind her back, obtaining a short handgun as she held the said item fixatedly at the snake-like man. "Don't think I forgot about you."

The lackey, seeing this, pushed his firearm further against the raven-haired man's skull. His voice low and cool, he spoke, "Remove your weapon's aim from Orochimaru-sama."

Upon closer inspection, the female assassin comprehended that the lone living henchman was the man seen beside Orochimaru from their encounter earlier, when being introduced as concubines. Ignoring his earlier said statement, the pink-haired woman asked, "How are you alive? Hinata never misses a target." She sent a glance at the girl as if searching for reassurance, receiving a nod from the Hyuuga.

"She didn't miss," replied the ever-faithful servant, the thin bayonets then becoming apparent as they jutted out of his shoulder blades. "I merely evaded the vital points aimed for." The hand gripping Sasuke's head visibly tightened. "I feigned to be one of the many dead that lie on the floor, awaiting you two to be distracted, hence I could resume my task." His pale face was aloof and detached. "I am called Kabuto, and my duty is to eliminate Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto if a situation presents myself where my master is unable to do so." His dark charcoal eyes blinked nonchalantly. "Uzumaki is already carried out."

Hinata's hands, pressed against the bleeding injury on the blonde's head, added further pressure upon reaction to the remark.

Sasuke continued to glare venomously, his blood seething. Inconspicuously, he radically attempted to budge his paralyzed body. Using all his willpower, he began with trying to move his hand. With extreme effort, his fingers slowly began to twitch, followed by his hand discreetly shaking.

"Relinquish your aim upon Orochimaru-sama immediately," repeated Kabuto, "or I will kill the one you hold dear. I will let you know, I am short for patience."

"Wait!" called out Sakura.

"Why should I refrain?" questioned the gray-haired man.

"Because…" the girl began slowly, lowering her gunpoint from Kabuto towards the paralyzed Uchiha. Ebony eyes enlarged subtly at this, his expression revealing hints of bewilderment. Her hand maintained it's powerful grasp against her _Desert Eagle_ revolver. "…Allow me the first shot."

"Sakura…!" gasped out Hinata. "What are you doing?"

"You wouldn't be able to understand," replied Sakura, not meeting the taken back and befuddled gaze of her partner.

Raising an eyebrow in perplexity to the woman's intent, Kabuto loosened his gun somewhat. "In that case," he began, "ladies first."

Her hand shook slightly from reluctance, nevertheless Sakura pushed it aside. She maintained her direct hold with the aim pointed at Sasuke's chest. With a short swallow, her finger pulled the trigger.

_((SFX: bang!!))_

The bullet sprang out of her gun, flying at blinding speed. Within seconds it reached it's target—the Uchiha's thigh. Upon impact, crimson fluid splurged to the floor, the flesh wound marking a deep gash in his leg.

A sharp hiss elicited from the raven-haired assassin, his body performing an involuntary jerk. His fist clenched tight, knuckles smearing white, until realization dawned upon him that he had regained control of his hand. Subtly, he found he could move his legs as well, though his injured leg took some effort.

Onyx irises rose, clashing with jade as he read in her eyes that she mentally confirmed her plan had worked. _Of course… a sharp pain would force the nerves to start working again, thus giving feeling back to my body, _he reiterated in his mind to comprehend the strategy.

Shifting his gaze to the back of his head, Sasuke slowly moved his arm forward.

Narrowing his eerie gold eyes, Orochimaru commented, "Kabuto, keep your guard—"

_((SFX: bang!!))_

His warning was not heeded as the Uchiha had already made his move, his great speed carrying out his deed in seconds. He had elbowed the gray-haired man, causing him to keel over as the gun he held was left for the taking. Grabbing the accessible weapon, Sasuke didn't waste any time delivering the final blow to Kabuto, firing directly between his eyes for a quick and assured death.

The blood slowly spread across the hard marble floor.

Sasuke cast his gaze to Sakura, his pale, handsome face portraying a heavy scowl.

"Are you an idiot?" rasped the Uchiha brashly, ripping the bottom of his long black pants to wrap around his bleeding thigh.

"Your welcome," retaliated Sakura sourly, nonetheless she beamed a small coy, yet apologetic, smile. Emerald eyes then shifted to the midnight-haired maiden, who continued to apply pressure against the bleeding injury on the back of Naruto's skull. "Hinata, you need to leave."

The Hyuuga instantly whipped her head towards her partner, lavender eyes widening in disbelief. "What are you saying?" asked she, yet her voice was merely a loud, quivering whisper. "I can't leave—!"

"Take Naruto with you," added the pink-haired assassin. "You need to hurry, you know he needs immediate medical attention for that shot in the back of his skull."

Hinata's body tensed. "Are—Are you saying…?"

Sakura's expression was controlled. "He doesn't have much time." Seeing her partner grow silent, she added with stressed urgency, "Go! We'll take care of it, just—"

"And what makes you think I'll let them go so easily?" interrupted Orochimaru, the confirmation behind his threat shown when he lifted his _.30-30 Winchester_, cocking the firearm with the opposite arm of his injured one. The aforementioned had stopped bleeding in result to a blood clot in the area, the crimson liquid formerly leaking out of the wound drying in thick clumps.

The man shifted his gold eyes towards his beloved Uchiha.

"Your foolish arrogance is beginning to blind you, Sasuke-kun. I would have tolerated your haughtiness had you and the idiotic blonde completed the most crucial of assignments. Yet clearly, you two were incapable of completing the simplest of tasks." He leaned his head back, releasing a loud, hearty cackle. When he faced his head forward, the insanity that dwelled within his eyes was easily clear to see. "You pitiful fools! You were too weak, the proof of your weakness standing in this very room! Incompetent, worthless pieces of—!"

_((SFX: bang!!))_

His eerie gold eyes broadened, his mouth extended wide as the snake-like man maintained his straight posture, pressing his weight against his knees. Slowly, he fell forward, the collide of his body against the ground resonating a loud _thud _throughout the spacious room.

Both Sasuke and Sakura stared intently, sparing a brief glance at one another before gazing towards the source of the gunshot.

"Who… are you calling… worthless?" spoke Naruto in susurration, his breathing winded as he lowered his arm, thin smoke rising from the pistol the blonde retrieved from the body of a bodyguard nearby. "Don't turn your back… on an enemy, asshole…" added the assassin before his head dropped and with an sharp exhale of air, he fell unconscious.

"Naruto?" called Hinata, gently shaking his shoulder. "Naruto…!"

Moving over to where his partner lay, Sasuke lowered himself, placing the blonde's arm around his shoulder as he hoisted him up, dragging him half-heartedly towards the exit.

"Let's go," stated the Uchiha concisely, turning to look over his shoulder, glancing specifically at Hinata. "You want him to live, don't you?"

Blinking mauve irises, the Hyuuga nodded, standing up as she proceeded to follow the briskly paced raven-haired man.

Sending a glance behind her, Sakura called out, "Go ahead, I'll catch up."

Hearing this, Hinata asked, "What are you going to do?"

Retrieving a bomb strapped around one of the belt loops of her sleek black pants, Sakura said, "I'm just taking a little extra precaution." Lifting the grenade to her mouth, she removed the cap. Once she heard the continuous beeping tones from the ticking time bomb, she recoiled her arm, flinging it forward as she threw the grenade directly next to where Orochimaru's body lay. Then, she turned to leave, pushing Hinata along as well.

_((SFX: beep… beep—boom!!))_

Once all four were outside, the large building began to crumble as smoke ascended from the space of the cracks. The walls soon collapsed, dust flying out in a thick cloud of dirt.

"Come on, Sakura-chan," Hinata spoke softly, giving a gentle tug on the girl's wrist.

Casting a final look, Sakura nodded, allowing herself to be pulled away.

Pale fingers stuck out from the heaps of rubble that lied around the area. A few seconds later, they began to twitch, soon resulting to jerking…

* * *

The white double-entry doors flapped as a blonde medic pushed them aside, the logo _Konoha Regional Hospital _printed on each entry side.

"You should be fine," spoke the woman, escorting Sasuke out as the Uchiha moved towards a wall, soon turning and leaning his back against it. "You're lucky it was only a flesh wound to the thigh, and that your artery wasn't it. Had it been hit, you would have bled out in five minutes max." Gold eyes examined the wound as the raven-haired assassin listened half-heartedly. "Keep your weight off it and don't give the area too much strain, and if your health remains as sharp as it is, you should be able to make a full recovery within a month or so."

"Hn," replied the Uchiha brusquely, onyx eyes staring into a distance as though contemplating.

With a nod, the woman turned to leave, halting when she heard her name called.

"Tsunade-sama," addressed Hinata, standing up instantaneously as she delivered the customary bow of respect. As the Hyuuga rose, the worry and apprehension held in the maiden's eyes was clearly evident to the blonde woman. "How is he doing?"

"Oh, the other boy?" answered Tsunade. "I can't be certain. It was crucial you bring him here as soon as the injury was struck, but I suppose it was better than any later. I'm issuing him into surgery." She folded her arms against her chest. "That bullet did a number to his cranium. It cut through the bone, and we all know it must have been a hell of a bullet to do that." Her gold almond eyes scanned both Sakura, whom sat in a chair resided in the waiting room, and Hinata, who continually stood, as Tsunade shifted her gaze between the two before landing on the Uchiha who indifferently leaned against a nearby wall, donning a stoic expression. "Do you know what type of bullet it was, or what gun was used?" questioned the head medic. "If the surgeons knew what the potency was, perhaps his chances would be higher."

Receiving a silence as her answer, Tsunade released a quiet sigh, shifting weight to one leg as she placed both her hands on her hips. "Tell me what exactly happened, again." Her voice leaned towards a commanding tone.

All three assassins glanced at each other, Sasuke's sharp gaze scrutinizing each female. Receiving his intricate stare, Sakura sent reassurance with her eyes as her mouth opened, turning back towards her mentor.

"We were all hunting," started the pink-haired woman. "We came across another hunter who seemed to be having trouble with his gun. Having some knowledge on guns"—her eyes flashed at the words, she knew her mentor could discern her lies—"we stopped to help, and as we were fixing it, the man had his gun facing Naruto and he accidentally pulled the trigger." The corner of her mouth tugged downwards in a frown, adding, "We don't know what type of bullet it was, since it was just an accident."+

"…I see," eventually replied the head medic, her lips pursed. "Sakura, come with me. We could use an extra hand." Said woman nodded, moving to stand beside her mentor. Casting her golden almond gaze at Sasuke and Hinata, Tsunade added, "I'll try and keep you two updated on the status of your friend." With a brief nod, she turned to take her leave, halting when Hinata called after her.

"Tsunade-sama," said the midnight-haired maiden once more when she reached the blonde's side. "Please, is there anything you can do for Naruto—?"

"He is already admitted into surgery and is undergoing the surgical procedure as we speak" replied the woman brusquely. After a brief pause, she continued speaking, lowering her voice to a hushed tone. "Him and the Uchiha were yours and Sakura's targets, Hinata. They were both supposed to be eliminated. Why should I put the effort of saving the life you were supposed to kill?" Her head discreetly jerked towards Sasuke, turning her gaze towards Sakura, "And why is he unscathed, despite the wound to his thigh—which is hardly even lethal—in comparison to Uzumaki whose wound is much more fatal?"

"We were helping them revolt against their leader," explained Sakura. "They had been planning their rebellion for some time—"

"Then why not deliver the finishing blow, when they believed you were on their side? I shouldn't be having to spare my good surgeons when they should be working on more imperative cases that require their attention."

"Tsunade-shishou, Sasuke told me himself that him and Naruto had no specific intention once their revolution was carried out."

Raising an eyebrow, Tsunade questioned, "And your point is?"

"What—What if they were to ally with us, Tsunade-sama?" asked Hinata, her voice soft as she pressed the tips of her index fingers against one another.

A frown formed on the physically young face of the blonde woman, her appearance doubtful and cynical. "I don't know, Hinata. What makes you think I can trust them?"

"Um, well… you can have them under surveillance—"

"Certainly not done by you two. Your feelings will clearly affect your judgment."

"It can be done by whomever, Tsunade-shishou. I think we should present them the opportunity, and based upon how they react is how we'll decide."

"How are you sure your 'lovers' won't pull a revolution against Konoha's Elite Corps? Simply because they are _'bored'_—"

Lifting her thin, pale wrist, Hinata suggested, "You can install the microscopic chip, Tsunade-sama. The one Sakura-chan and I have."

Placing her fingers against her chin, the head medic contemplated the thought. "There is a new invention our scientists had recently created. We have prototypes in our possession that can be tested on both Uchiha and Uzumaki, as their initiation test that will help decide whether or not they can join."

"What exactly are the prototypes, shishou?" questioned Sakura with skeptical eyes.

"It is a pill, the size of the top portion of a pinky finger. Once swallowed, it contains elements that will make it unable to be dissolved by the body's acids, as well as components that will trick the digestive system into not assimilating the capsule. Now, the scientists believe that with this pill, the first lethal weapon to reside inside the body controlled by an outer force will exist."

"What—What do you mean?" asked the Hyuuga softly.

"Technology has come far, girls. Residing inside the pill is a powerful poisonous gas, which one spread throughout the body, will cause death in a short period of time. I have been given a switch, and with this switch, I can choose when the pill will release the venomous gas." Both Sakura and Hinata wore stunned expressions in regards to the details, leading Tsunade to clarify. "However, remember this is only a prototype. We're not sure the pill will work correctly."

"Then, you're using Sasuke and Naruto as your guinea pigs?" asked Sakura, raising an elegant eyebrow.

"They are renowned assassins, Sakura. This is the only test I see fit to see if they deem worthy. If they pull one suspicious act, warn the two that I have the capability of activating the trigger that will end their lives instantly. If Uchiha and Uzumaki do not agree to the terms regarding the usage of the pill, I will not consider them for joining." Pausing for a breath, the head medic added, "And if they agree, then the pills will be used as a test-run, meaning my activating the trigger may or may not work."

"So it could potentially be a hollow threat?" asked the pink-haired woman.

"Yes, however do not mention that detail. I want their movements restricted, is that understood?"

Both girls nodded.

"Now," started Tsunade, glancing at Hinata and Sakura before turning to officially make her leave, "I have a patient that needs surgery if he wants good chances of surviving. Is there anything else?"

"No, Tsunade-sama," replied Hinata softly, bowing respectfully. "Thank you."

* * *

_A few days later…_

* * *

"Naruto-kun?"

The walls were swathed with the shade of white as a bed draped with pallid satin sheets laid in the corner. A head of blonde hair was pressed against the soft, fluffed pillow as the body of Naruto rested against the soft colorless bedspread.

"Naruto-kun, are you awake?"

Feeling a soft hand press gently against his shoulder, droopy cerulean eyes slowly cracked open, blurred vision taking in the form of Hinata, the image her dark midnight hair and concerned lavender eyes gradually clearing to his eyes.

"Hinata-chan…" he began steadily, his voice somewhat hoarse. "What… what day is it?"

"Thursday," replied the Hyuuga quietly.

"Thursday…?" responded Naruto, then his eyes opened widely as pushed himself up, his upper body rising as he hunched over, wincing slightly from his sudden movement. Upon the sudden movement, Hinata stood up instantly, placing two hands against the blonde's shoulders. "Wait, _Thursday_?!" repeats the assassin, to which the midnight-haired woman nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, Naruto-kun," answered the woman, "but don't move too quickly, your injuries haven't completely healed—"

"Hinata-chan, don't you _see_?!" he shouted in response. With a loud groan, he allowed his body to fall back against the mattress. "I missed _Ramen Wednesday_!"

Blinking her eyes, Hinata tilted her head, confused. "'Ramen Wednesday', Naruto-kun?"

"_Yes_, that restaurant you took me to, Ichiraku! Teuchi, the old, nice guy who owns the restaurant, told me about it!"

With a dramatic sigh, Naruto sunk into his bed, recalling the words Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, had informed him regarding the special. "_You get a free bowl of ramen when purchasing two bowls!" _spoke the brunette enthusiastically, beaming a bright, wide smile.

Blinking mauve irises once more, Hinata giggled softly behind her hand. "Oh, Naruto-kun…"

The blonde remained silent for a few moments before speaking up once more.

"Wait a second, Hinata-chan… if it's Thursday… how much time has passed?"

Averting her gaze from Naruto for a moment, the Hyuuga replied, "Well, Naruto-kun… as a result of the surgery, you have been given a few days of rest, which you slept through." Her expression then grew concerned as she asked, "How are you feeling?" Worry dwelled in her eyes as she glanced at the thick bandage wrapped around his forehead, hidden by the thick blonde locks hovering over it.

"Oh, this little thing?" answered Naruto, rising his azure eyes towards his forehead to glimpse his injury in vain. "I'm fine, don't worry about me! It takes a lot more than a gunshot to keep me down." He beamed a wolfish grin to reassure her, then raised one hand as his index finger scratched his temple lightly. "Thanks for being concerned, though," added the assassin as his tone sounded sheepish.

Hinata smiled gently in return, yet Naruto was able to perceive that she was incessantly bothered by his injuries. Moving his hand to the back of his skull, he rubbed the area the bandage was secured tightest. Upon doing so, his mind recollected how he came to receiving his severe wound, recalling the rifle pressed against his temple, then hearing another gunshot, remembering how in reaction Orochimaru's arm slid back but his reflex was still quick enough to pull the trigger on the gun.

Cerulean irises narrowed as his stare grew serious, his eyes seeming to glaze over. Seeing this, Hinata frowned worriedly, her frown deepening when she saw him recoil in result to whatever he was thinking of.

"Is something wrong?" she asked delicately.

"What happened to Orochimaru?" answered Naruto. "I can't remember much after getting shot." He winced following his statement.

At the blunt word 'shot', Hinata visibly flinched as well, soon regaining her calm composure as she explained, "Orochimaru is dead. You shot him, Naruto-kun."

Cobalt eyes widened. "Really? I shot the bastard?" The midnight-haired woman responded in a nod, to which Naruto added, "How well was my shot? Because, you know, from this hit"—he tapped against the back of his cranium—"I doubt I would have had a good shot, even with my _incredible _skill." He grinned foxily subsequent to his last comment.

"You shot him directly in the center of his back," replied the Hyuuga, unable to help her smiling at the blonde's childish behavior.

"Really? The center of his back?" His grin widened as he folded both his arms behind his head, leaning back against the soft fabric of his pillow, clearly pleased with himself. "Even shot in the back of my head, I can still shoot a damn good shot. You gotta admit, Hina-chan, that's pretty damn impressive!" He flashed an extensive, toothy grin.

Hinata giggled lightheartedly. "Sakura-chan tossed a grenade for further assurance of your leader's death." Then her lavender eyes peered down, her fingers fidgeting with one another.

Glimpsing her nervous movement as their conversation drew to a silence, Naruto asked, "Is anything bothering you?"

"Naruto-kun," she started, her voice suddenly lowered to a quiet hush. "Did you, and Sasuke-san as well, have anything planned once Orochimaru was… 'terminated'?"

The blonde's hand came in contact with his chin as he rubbed it thoughtfully, tilting his gaze upward as cerulean irises gazed at the ceiling. "Well, now that you mention it… not really." He chuckled briefly, adjoining, "To be honest, I never really figured we'd live after the day we did the revolution. I just wanted to see that Orochimaru's perverted ass dead."

"So… you have nothing, then?" asked the midnight-haired woman, her voice speaking somewhat slowly.

"Yeah…" replied Naruto gradually, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

Pressing her index fingers against one another (Naruto's curiosity furthering once recognizing her nervous trait), she asked in susurration, "Are you still interested in being in assassin?"

Squinting sapphire eyes, the blonde asked cynically, "Why?"

Stuttering slightly, she replied, "My superior is o-offering you and Sasuke-san, if-if you want it, a position in our organization as an assassin."

At her statement, Naruto stood up abruptly, wincing at his sudden movement as he propped his upper body up by pressing his hands against the soft hospital bed. He was dumbfounded by her words, inquiring, "Wha—wait a minute… weren't you trying to kill me and Sasuke-teme? Why would your people suddenly want us to join?" Leaning back against his bedpost slightly, he asked with wary, guarded eyes, "What's the catch, huh?"

Stammering, she answered, "N-Nothing, I was only asking—"

"What is your organization about?" the blonde asked in query. "Because, if targets of yours are me and teme… I'm not sure I'd be able to go along with that." He then folded both arms behind his head in an 'x' formation, leaning back as he closed both his eyes. He snorted as he added, "Who's your next target going to be? Kakashi-sensei?"

Opening one of his eyes, Naruto glanced at Hinata whom stared at the floor, her body fidgeting as her position signaled her discomfort. Upon seeing this, the blonde slacked his shoulders somewhat, his expression softening. Putting hints together, he asked, "Wait, is this what you were so bothered about? Asking me about joining?"

Watching her lavender eyes avert from the floor to a corner in the wall, Naruto straightened his posture, placing himself in front of the timid girl. His hand reached out, coming in contact with her face as his thumb and index finger tip her chin upward, coaxing her to face him.

Allowing him to lift her head, Hinata shyly raised her mauve eyes to glimpse at him, glancing as a few silky blonde strands fell in front of his distinct sapphire eyes, his thick bangs hovering over his forehead, covering the white bandage tied around his cranium.

"Listen…" he started gently, his voice tender. "I'll talk about it with Sasuke-teme, okay?" Feeling her head nod against his fingers, but her expression remaining distraught, the assassin frowned. "Is there anything else bothering you?"

Hesitating slightly, the girl answered, "Well…"

* * *

_A few minutes later… _

* * *

"SASUKEEEE!"

The Uchiha barged into the room, crouching in a low, defensive position as guarded eyes scanned the area, Sakura quickly trailing behind him.

The raven-haired male soon straightened his stance upon finding Hinata raising both her hands with her palms facing Naruto in a calming motion, while the said blonde was curled up in a fetal position, hands grasping each side of his skull as his fingers tangled in thick blonde hair. The male rocked back and forth, his expression appalled as he murmured repeatedly, "No death pill, no death pill, no death pill—"

Upon sensing the new visitors, Hinata turned her neck, glancing over her shoulder as her gaze fell upon Sakura and Sasuke.

Blinking emerald eyes, Sakura inquired, "You told him the terms, didn't you?"

Hinata nodded as Sasuke closed his onyx eyes calmly. Walking over to his blonde partner's bedside, he raised his arm, fingers curling into a fist—

_((SFX: whack!!))_

With a loud whine, Naruto held his head with accentuated tightness, moaning dramatically from the pain of the strike. "WHYYY, Sasuke-teme!? I just got out of surgery, you BASTARD!"

"Quit complaining," replied the Uchiha stoically.

"While you two discuss things, Hinata and I are going to grab a bite to eat," piped in Sakura. "Do you want anything, Naruto?"

Said male blinked his squinted azure irises in reaction to the question. His eyes then grew round and large as they twinkled brightly. "If you could bring me ALL the ramen bowls in the _world_—!"

_((SFX: whack!!))_

"WAA, god _damn _it, _TEME! _Quit hitting me! You're so heartless, abusing an _innocent _victim of a _shooting_—!"

"Shut up. You're in a hospital, dobe."

"Ohh the PAIN!" cried the blonde, wailing as he flailed his arms around dramatically. "I'm _bleeding_, teme! BLEEDING—!"

"I told you to shut up, idiot. You're delusional—"

"Sakura-_chan_! Control your crazy murder-intent boyfriend—!"

"They already left, baka."

Upon the words, Naruto sprung up, blinking cerulean eyes. "What?!" he yelled. After a few moments of silent deliberation, the assassin sank back down into his bed, a content grin spreading across his whiskery cheeks. "Oh, they probably just went to go get the ramen I requested." He rubbed his hands together eagerly as he chortled. "I can't wait until they get back! That ramen broth old Teuchi makes over at Ichiraku is the best I've _ever _tasted!"

Shaking his head, raven spikes flinging left to right as he did so, Sasuke rested his right shoulder against the spotless white wall of the small room, arms folding across his burly chest. "First you're crying about a death pill, now you're rambling on about ramen?" inquired the Uchiha, his voice even and flat.

Snapping out of his train of thought, Naruto closed his babbling mouth, his hyperactive energy calming as his face grew serious. "Did Sakura tell you about the position her and Hinata-chan's company were 'offering'?"

"They want us as assassins. I know," replied the Uchiha brusquely.

"That's the basic information, teme. Didn't Sakura-chan tell you about the…" he shuddered, followed by an audible _gulp_, "the 'death pill'?"

The raven-haired male shook his head at his partner's cowardice behavior. "It's procedure. Akatsuki did worse."

"I know _that_, teme, but it wasn't done on _us_!" yelled back the blonde, flailing his arms dramatically. He sank back in his bed, heaving a heavy sigh. "What if she changes her mind and decides to kill us without knowing it? Or she hits some sort of trigger that activates a bomb inside and—BOOM—!"

"Stop your babbling, dobe," responded Sasuke. "Those scenarios are highly unlikely."

"Why are you so calm about this?" inquired Naruto. "We just finished taking out Orochimaru's ass. What if this other organization is the same as Akatsuki? Their targets were _us_! Who knows who they're going to make us go kill next?" Taking his partner's silence as a cue that he was listening, the assassin continued. "In the shape we're in, we won't be able to do a rebellion soon, and we'd have to gain their trust which means we could be bound to this 'Konoha Elite' for years. Teme, I'm not getting any younger!"

Onyx eyes rolled at the last statement. "You make your point. However, your thinking is one-sided."

"What, you mean to consider this at all angles?" answered Naruto. "The only benefits I could think of are being with Hinata and Sakura…" He blinked his distinct sapphire eyes twice. "That's all I can think of." Seeing the Uchiha's face remain calm and indifferent, the blonde added, "Sasuke, this is like our retirement! Why go back to work when we're off the hook, for good? No more stupid deadlines, no more blood staining our clothes, no more traveling everywhere having to stay in crappy hotel rooms"—his face shriveled at the thought, wrinkling his nose—"but forgetting all that, this is the start of the good life! We still have tons of cash left over from our time with the perverted snake bastard!"

"What would we do, then?"

"Easy, teme!" He held out his hand in front of him, using his fingers to count down the reasons with his opposite hand. "We have Vegas, ramen, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, ramen, mansions, ramen—"

Sasuke's eyebrows drew together as he scowled at his partner's pointless list went on. He opened his mouth to retort; however before he could, the door slid open. Ebony eyes turned to glance at the visitor, finding his gaze to meet the blonde female doctor that had bandaged his thigh. Absentmindedly, he glanced at said spot.

"Don't mind me, I'm just here to check the IV charts," spoke Tsunade, her expression composed as she leisurely walked towards Naruto's bedside, clutching a clipboard to her hip. "How are you feeling?" she asked the assassin, her tone professional. She blinked her golden almond eyes, raising a curious eyebrow as she leaned towards Naruto, peering closer. "It seems as if the swelling around your head has grown instead of lessened…" She sent a narrowed glance towards the Uchiha. "Have you been smacking him around? The angles of the hit prove the kid couldn't have punched himself, no matter how stupid he is—"

At the remark, Naruto gaped, his expression offended before it twisted to a glare. "HEY! I'm not _that _stupid!"

"—So I've been told," added the renowned doctor. Receiving a silence as Sasuke's response, Tsunade gave a brief nod. "I'll take that as a yes. You," she craned her neck towards the Uchiha, "quit hitting him. And you," she reverted her gaze to Naruto, "your healing will take slightly longer from those hits, expectedly. But it shouldn't be too much longer."

The blonde grumpily crossed his arms, sinking lower in his mattress as he muttered angrily to himself.

Her head tilting down, Tsunade scribbled a few words to the front paper on her clipboard walking towards the door as she flipped through another couple pages. She paused a few feet away from the exit, turning 180 degrees on her heel, facing both Naruto and Sasuke.

"One more thing," she stated. "Have the girls discussed the offer with you?"

The sentence caused both men to glance at the blonde woman.

"How do you know about that?" asked Naruto, perplexed.

"I'm the leader of Konoha Elite," answered Tsunade simply. "Have you two reached a decision?"

"What is the purpose of our joining?" questioned Sasuke flatly. "You ordered us to be killed."

"That was merely because you two killed without intention," retorted the doctor. "Our organization is about ridding proven criminals let loose, unlike Akatsuki whom purely murdered without justifiable reason." Her gaze turned sharp. "You two were among the highest threat to society. Your movements were unpredictable, thus one couldn't tell if your next target would be an innocent citizen."

"Teme and I would never hurt anyone innocent!" snapped Naruto.

"Is that so?" rejoined Tsunade. "Do you know the backgrounds of each target you killed?" The blonde assassin remained silent, therefore the woman continued. "My point proven. Since you two are now no longer amid Akatsuki, joining my organization would put your skills to beneficial use. Are there any other questions?"

"How long would we be under the control of this 'death pill'?" asked Naruto.

"Your probation could last for a month, or six months. It will end when I see fit. If you don't agree to the terms, so be it, but there is no other method of joining." Idly, she twirled her pen within her fingers. "No one's twisting your legs to join. You'll either comply, or don't bother and live your separate lives."

"How do we know you won't annihilate us through the pill? You would be completing your original task," inquired Sasuke.

"I give you my word no foul play will be done," replied Tsunade. "I'll leave you two to contemplate—"

"That won't be necessary," spoke Sasuke. Onyx eyes glanced at Naruto as cerulean irises did the same.

Meeting each other's gaze, Naruto spoke, "We'll do it, as long as your word is good."

The corner of her lips curved upwards in a satisfied smile. "I assure you it is." She then turned on her heel once more, sliding the door open as she took her leave out of the room.

"You're sure about this, right, teme?" asked the blonde, his voice somewhat hesitant. "Because if we die, I swear I'll haunt you—!"

"Shut up, baka," retorted Sasuke. "Your ideas of 'retirement' weren't that appealing."

"The only way they wouldn't be appealing is if you weren't a man!" Then Naruto's eyes grew wide, bulging. "Unless… all this time…?!"

_((SFX: smack!!))_

"OW! _TEME!_ OI, that Tsunade-baachan said no more hitting! I'm telling!"

"Telling who, Naruto-kun?"

Hearing the person's soft voice, the blonde immediately turned towards the visitor. "Hinata-chan!" he yelled, leaping out of his bed as he rushed towards her, grasping her shoulders tightly once in front of her. The stunned Hyuuga merely stared, her expression matching a deer caught in headlights. "Hinata-chan, if I die from that deathly death pill, I just want you to know—!"

"Keep your voice down, dobe. You're still in the hospital."

"'Death pill'?" questioned Sakura before clarifying Naruto's words. "Oh, you two decided to join?"

Sasuke merely shrugged as Naruto flailed his arms around radically as he continued his loud rambling to Hinata.

* * *

_Six months later…_

* * *

_((SFX: knock, knock))_

"Come in."

The door creaked open, followed by four bodies stepping into the office.

"You asked to see us, Tsunade-shishou?"

Said woman looked up from her mountainous stacks of paperwork. "Ah, yes, come further inside," replied Tsunade. "Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata," greeted she, addressing each person in sequence from left to right. She straightened her posture, lacing her fingers against one another as she placed her elbows against her mahogany desk. "I called you in to inform both Naruto and Sasuke that you two have completed your probation. Well done."

"Really?" questioned Naruto, a wide grin spreading against his features. "That's awesome! So when do we get these creepy death pill things out, huh? It's been messing with my stomach so bad—"

"The pills already washed itself out of your system months ago."

Sasuke's eyes widened subtly as Naruto openly gaped broadly. "WHAT?" he screeched. "So this whole time I've been worrying for my life for _nothing_?!"

Tsunade couldn't help but smile slightly, amused at the boy's reaction as she chuckled lightly. "The pills were merely a prototype which you two tested out, and now you've given our scientists criteria to improve the pills upon. The girls knew about this."

"Seriously?!" retorted the blonde. He then turned to the Hyuuga, wailing, "Hinata-chan, why didn't you tell me?!"

She smiled slightly, answering softly, "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, we were instructed not to say anything—"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," interrupted said male. "Does that mean… that the pills weren't messing with my stomach?"

Sasuke snorted as Sakura revolted at the question. Tsunade simply chuckled once more, replying, "That would be an impossibility, Naruto."

"So, Tsunade-shishou," chimed in Sakura, "now that their probation is over, can we have a real mission now?"

The woman nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, that brings me to my next point." She opened one of the drawers of her desk, withdrawing a thick file as she dropped it against the counter. "This mission requires the skill all four of you possess."

All four stood in a straight line, each faces intent as they awaited their command.

"You all are sure Orochimaru was eliminated, correct?"

"Yes, shishou," answered Sakura. "Naruto shot him in the back of the skull and I threw a grenade. We left none alive, there's no way he could be alive."

The blonde woman frowned, leaning forward in her chair slightly. "Unfortunately, that contradicts with our elite sources."

"Orochimaru's still alive?" inquired Sasuke, his tone low and flat as his face twisting into a dark scowl.

Before the Konoha Elite leader could reply, Naruto burst out, "That's impossible! There's no way the guy in his condition could have escaped the grenade!"

"I realize that, Naruto," Tsunade countered. "However, my sources aren't ones to be misleading. Therefore, I want you four to check this out." Handing the thick folder to Sakura, the blonde woman added, "It is said that he has been spotted in Kyoto. I expect you won't fail me."

The four nodded simultaneously, turning as they all proceeded to leave.

"Be careful," were Tsunade's final words before the door closed.

* * *

**T H E E N D**

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter was extra long for the extra long wait. It's summer, and that is the only reason why I was able to get this update out, along with the help of my sister _xX Alpha Clique Xx. _Without her I doubt I would have been able to finish this chapter, let alone have the motivation. This is for all the fans, thank you for all the reviews, and all 327 (or more I haven't checked lately) people putting alerts on this story. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint, hope it wasn't an awkward time for an ending but I figure now instead of another year passing before I update again, eh? And finally, I started this story on 3-02-07, and I finish it now on 6-11-09. Thank you for all the reviews, take care!


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